In the Ashes of Mobius
by Rau866
Summary: AU. The world had been reduced to ashes around them. The fires of hatred that raged had claimed all they had known. Now in the aftermath, they struggle to survive this new world. But are any of them prepared for the horrors left behind by the old one?
1. Prologue

A/N: Hello and welcome to my little fic, I hope you enjoy it. Now for a little introduction; This is an AU (Alternate Universe) story that I've been working on for the past five odd years. It's a combination of story-lines, characters and other elements from the various Sonicverses, mixed together with a Sci-Fi setting and plot of my own.

Important note: I have changed the species of several characters have been changed for the purposes of this story, though I have tried to keep their personality intact. A quick word of warning, if you don't like character deaths you might want to skip this story.

* * *

**In the Ashes of Mobius**

**Prologue**

It all began so very long ago. A lifetime ago in fact. If only we'd seen the signs earlier, then maybe it would all have turned out differently.

But they had all been blinded by their pettiness, their own short sighted ambitions and grievances. If only they could have opened their eyes to the dangers that surrounded them.

If only I could have made them see.

If only...

- - - -

"Sonic, run." Knuckles shot a glance over his shoulder at the blue hedgehog.

"I'm not leaving you, Knuckles," he said defiantly.

"We can't both outrun them."

"B-but, Knuckles...," Sonic began to protest.

"There isn't any time."

The massive humanoid machines stomped closer, their blood red armour glinting evilly in the dim light of the corridor.

"Go now!" Knuckles shouted at him.

The machines were closer now and began to fire at the pair. The badly aimed bolts of energy melting great ragged holes into the smooth metal wall and floor.

The hedgehog hesitated for a moment before his gaze fell to the floor. "I'm sorry," he said sorrowfully, then he turned and ran. His rapid footfalls clanking hollowly on the metal grating of the floor as he fled.

The blood red echidna smiled as he heard his friend get away. "No, I'm the one who should be sorry. It's my fault we're in this mess," Knuckles said to himself as he turned to face the oncoming machines.

The hulking robots loomed even closer now, and he loosed the remaining ammo of his rifle into two of them. He didn't need to aim, they were so close it would have been impossible for him to miss even if he tried. They sparked and jolted as they crumpled to the ground. Now empty, he threw his useless weapon aside, clenching his fists he charged at the remaining machines.

They raised their blasters, but Knuckles was too fast. His spiked fist impacted the chest armour of the closest machine, shattering it. It dropped to the floor with a resounding crash, amidst a shower of sparks and spray of oil.

The other two turned, bringing their rifles to bare on the lone echidna. One of them fired, but Knuckles ducked, and the bolt turned the last machine's leg to molten slag, throwing it off balance and sending it crashing to the floor.

Knuckles brought his fist up, smashing the machine's hand and sending it's blaster rifle tumbling through the air. But he could do nothing as the machine brought it's leg around with a speed that belied it's size, sending him flying to the wall and knocking the air from his lungs.

His heart thrummed in Knuckles' ears and his lungs burned as he gasped to regain his lost breath. He could hear the machine moving closer, readying to deliver the final blow. But he was unable to move. The muscles of his arms and legs ached, they screamed in protest and refused to listen to his commands. They just hung there limply, uselessly.

"Knuckles, don't ever give up!" He heard his old mentor's voice echo in his mind.

"G-Guardian?" he spoke in a daze, managing to prise open his heavy eyelids.

Instead of the Guardian's wrinkled old face looking down at him sternly, as he expected, he was greeted by the cold inhuman stare of the machine. Deep shadowy pits where eyes should have been, looked back at him blankly as its metal-toothed maw seemed to sneer at him.

The machine raised it's destroyed and sparking wrist above the wounded echidna and brought it crashing down with a tremendous force that shattered the metal panelled wall.

With his last ounce of energy Knuckles had rolled away from the blow and now struggled to his feet. He steadied himself against the wall as he stood, still feeling light headed.

He barely had time to react as the machine now thrust it's undamaged arm at Knuckles. The echidna leaped into the air and landed on the large limb gracefully. Now overbalanced, the machine plunged face first to the floor.

It's head made a satisfying crunching sound as Knuckles crushed it beneath his booted foot.

The hallway was suddenly steeped in a deathly silence broken only by the echidna's ragged breaths and thundering heartbeat.

"Maybe... I can make it after all." He turned to leave, but stopped in his tracks when he heard a noise. The screech of metal against metal.

Before he could turn, a loud cracking noise, like a twig being snapped, echoed through the hallway. A heartbeat later a searing pain exploded in his shoulder.

"Aaah," Knuckles cried as he dropped to the floor. He rolled onto his back in time to see that the machine whose leg had been blown off had managed to get back up, balanced rather precariously on it's remaining leg.

In what would have been really quite comical in any other situation, the bulky machine hopped slowly and rather clumsily towards the fallen echidna.

An intense burning pain radiated from his shoulder and he turned and saw a black and charred hole smouldering there, but it was not bleeding. The intense heat from the laser bolt had cauterised the wound. The sickly smell of his charred flesh clung to his nostrils, making him feel sick.

Crash!

The loud noise brought Knuckles' numbed mind back to the danger at hand. The machine got closer with every moment. He franticly looked around for anything he could use. The blaster!

Crash!

The large blaster rifle one of the machine had dropped lay just inches away from Knuckles. He reached over for it, his fingers brushing the smooth metal of the weapon, but it was just out of reach.

Crash!

Through gritted teeth, he dragged himself towards the weapon.

Crash!

He would never be able to lift the massive blaster, even if he wasn't injured. But he managed to balance it's barrel on his knee, and take a shaky aim at the lumbering mechanised soldier.

Crack, the rifle spat a glob of red light as the recoil slammed the weapon back into his chest, Knuckles heard the cracking of braking ribs and stars swam in his vision. But the final machine fell to the floor, a smouldering heap of charred and half melted metal.

He pushed the crushing weight of the weapon off his leg and tried to stand. But he was unable to and he staggered to the wall.

The battered and bloodied echidna slumped against the cold metal wall, the sound of the gun still ringing in his ears. Blood poured down his face, leaving a coppery taste in his mouth and his vision blurred. The numbness in his shoulder had begun to spread and his fractured thoughts were bleeding together, making it hard to think.

Several feet away lay the remains of the five machines. Their armour crushed and melted, exposing their sparking innards and allowing their vital fluids to flow freely across the floor.

Knuckles smiled at his achievement, his breathing becoming laboured.

He began to laugh, even though with every breath his body was wreathed with pain. "The old Guardian always said my temper would get me in trouble one of these day. Looks like he was right." His hollow laugh echoed throughout the dead hallway.

"I hope that Sonic managed to get away at least," he thought as he heard the explosions reverberating in the distance, growing closer with every second.

He felt the corridor lurch violently beneath him, and could feel the warmth of the flames wash over him as the hallway was engulfed by the purifying fire. Knuckles shut his eyes tight and prayed to the goddess that it would be quick.

"I'm so sorry, Tikal, Lara-Su. Please forgive me."

Two years earlier...

Knuckles found himself drowning amidst the noise and bustle of the train station.

"Whooo," the train he'd just moments ago stepped off of screamed as it struggled to pull itself and its fresh load of passengers from the station. The old steam train contrasted sharply with the sleek high-technology of the city that surrounded it.

Through the throng of impatient people Knuckles fought, he was pushed and shoved as they hurried to departing trains or to one of the taxis that lined the road outside. If only they knew who he was, he thought sourly, then they wouldn't be so rude.

"Guardian," he was greeted by an echidna in a simple white robe, an acolyte of the Order of the Emerald. One of those, like himself, who had dedicated their life to the defence of the Chaos emeralds and those which had been blessed with their guiding light and protection.

"The Guardian of the Grand-Metropolis shrine has sent me to escort you to him, Guardian." He bowed low before Knuckles. After years of training the young echidna was being apprenticed to a guardian, at last.

"Lead the way," Knuckles said as the acolyte took his bags. He was used to the crotchety old monks of Hidden Palace looking down at him and constantly scolding him for disobedience, being treated with such reverence was a little unnerving.

Through the crowds of the station they emerged into the bright and sunny street of the city. A cool spring breeze blew, dampening the effects of the glaring sun.

Knuckles stopped on the steps of the station and looked out onto the city, he was just glad to finally be home after so many years. After finishing nearly a decade of quiet training in the great dusty halls and the long silent corridors of that ancient temple, he was glad to be finally free.

"We'll be to the shrine in a few minutes, Guardian," the acolyte said as he approached a waiting car.

"No, I'd prefer to walk." Knuckles took a lungful of the cool air that was at once so familiar to him, yet at the same time alien. "It's been a long time and I'd like to look around a bit."

"Er, um," the acolyte hesitated, unsure at what to do. He looked up and down the crowded street. The young Guardian's safety was of paramount importance, but he couldn't disobey an order. He gave a sigh before continuing, "as you wish, Guardian." He loaded the bags into the car and told the driver to go on ahead.

"You don't have to follow me, y'know. I know the way to the shrine."

"It is my duty to make sure that you arrive safely, Guardian."

"Well, if you're sure..."

Knuckles walked through the memories of his lost youth. So much had changed, yet so much had remained the same. Buildings had sprung up where once there had been fields of green. Others had disappeared, leaving behind dusty and barren land in their passing.

The streets were so much more crowded than he remembered. The traffic was backed up and angry honking echoed the streets, and the pavement was packed with people, all in a hurry to get somewhere.

The strong smells of spices and cooking meats wafted from the many restaurants that lines the streets, creating a heady and chaotic mix of flavours that hung thick in the air. But not even that could hide the pungent stench of decay that rose up from the streets around. The city was like a corpse that had been left to rot under the sun. No one seemed to notice, or perhaps they simply didn't care.

The city and its people had changed a lot since the war, but a darkness still lingered. The wounds that it had been left with hadn't healed, they had festered into an infection that was spread unwittingly. Carried throughout the city and beyond, in the hearts and minds of its people.

But hatred is as insidious as it is infectious, always shifting, always changing, lurking in the darkest recesses of the soul. Blinding people to the real dangers of the world. By those practised in it, it could be used as a weapon. One more powerful and deadly than any that could be forged by the hands of mortals. With it, you could destroy the universe.

Knuckles eventually arrived at the emerald shrine, where the city's Chaos emerald was kept. The pearly white tower jutted awkwardly from the ground, like the tooth of some predatory beast that had broken off and become stuck in the flank of its prey.

"You're late," greeted the voice of the old Guardian as Knuckles entered the emerald chamber, deep within the great ivory tower.

"I'm terribly sorry, Guardian," the acolyte said as he bowed deeply. "I humbly beg for forgiveness."

The Guardian simply waved the acolyte away before turning his attention to Knuckles. "Hmm, so you're what they've saddled me with?" The aged Guardian cast an appraising look over the young, and more than a little nervous, echidna that stood before him.

"Lets see what you can do then," he said. "Start with running a diagnostic on the power relays. Something is blocking the power flow and the militia commander is breathing down my neck to get it fixed."

"Yes sir," Knuckles answered and he dove into the work, eager to prove his worth.

He traced the problem back to the primary power relay on the east side of the city. An overload had caused it to automatically shut down, but the records showed that there had been no overload. He activated the relay, only to have it shut down again ten seconds later.

hmm, he disconnected the east side from from the rest of the city and switched it to backup power. He spent the next few hours inspected every line and connection to and from that relay, but could find nothing wrong. It should all be working fine.

"I'm sorry, Guardian. I-I can't find the problem," Knuckles said with disappointed sigh. It was his first day and he'd already failed.

"Knuckles, don't ever give up!" the old echidna said with a frown. "Look again, the answerer is right in front of you."

Not really believing the old echidna, he had another look. Wait... the primary relay's regulating program had been locked into a loop, counting its power flow over and over until it read as an overload and the fail-safe kicked in. But that couldn't have been an accident, could it? It must have been done on purpose. He looked back at the Guardian, his stony face giving nothing away. Had this all been a test?

"Well done. Not every problem you will have will be so clear-cut as replacing a fuse. Don't be bound by your training, in the real world an infinite number of problems can occur, and if your mind is closed you may not see it.

"Remember, you not only have the emerald to safeguard, but the city as well," Guardian said as he dismissed him. knuckles wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the the faintest flicker of a smile on the Guardian's stony face as he left.

It had been a long day, and it was early the next morning before he had time to report to the city's militia commander and get assigned his lodgings.

Finally Knuckles arrived at his small room, an officers quarters at the main militia barracks. The small room was bare, filled only with a bed, a cupboard and a computer monitor that was set into the wall. He found his bags at the foot of his bed.

He collapsed on his hard bed, exhausted. But something nagged at the back of his mind, he sat up and stared at the computer monitor that was set into the wall. He sat there for a time, watching his reflection in its surface. He should call her, he knew, but he didn't dare. After so many years, he didn't know how she would react.

He sighed and from one of his bags he removed an old and faded photograph. From it stared back his smiling face along with his sister's – Tikal - locked forever in that moment. He remembered the day it had been taken, right before their lives had been shattered like some cheap pot.

He realised was scared, but of what? That his sister had changed from the smiling girl that he remembered, just like their father had? Or maybe it was that he himself had changed, without even realising?

He shook his head, he was just tired. He lay back on the hard bed, letting sleep finally claim him.

Maybe he would call her tomorrow...

* * *

_Disclaimer:  
Sonic The Hedgehog and all related characters are owned by Archie Comic, DiC, Egmont Fleetway and SEGA.  
Scenario and original characters are owned by myself, Rau._


	2. Chapter 1

**Part One:**

**The Fall of Mobius**

**One**

"Realspace transition initiated, my Lord. Estimated time until window opening, is approximately twenty minutes."

Robotnik silently nodded his approval, beads of sweat glistened on his bald scalp in the dim light. The large man stood in the stale environment of a starship, at the fore of its long and narrow bridge. Around him lights of every colour blinked incessantly from bank upon bank of consoles that lined the narrow room, casting an unsettling glow that punctured the gloom.

He was entombed in the armoured shell of a warship that was probably more than a dozen times his own age, and it was not showing it well.

Islands of rust covered the dull and dented metal in spotty patches, while great clumps of coloured wires hung loose, dangling from missing panels overhead. The air was thick and smelled strongly of sweat and oil, the ventilation systems having long since decided to give-up working properly. A hotchpotch of mismatched machinery filled the guts of the old ship, from the many repairs it had received over the course of its long life from the tech-smith guilds of Kitsune.

Though none of this concerned Robotnik in that moment, he simply stood there at the foot of the foreword observation window. His chubby gloved hands were clasped firmly behind his back as the crew scurried around urgently behind him, attending to their tasks.

He calmly looked through the observation window, watching the nebulous, red hued 'fog' beyond. Of course, in actuality, there was no fog beyond the warship's thick hulls. It was merely how his senses perceived the chaotic swirl of unreality that humanity had come to know as warpspace.

The currants and eddies, the ebb and flow. The sea of unreality seethed and moved with a seeming purpose veiled behind the chaos, as if possessing a will of its own. It looked so peaceful, so calm from the illusionary safety of the ship. However, warpspace was far more deadly than any man-made weapon of mass destruction. A testament made all the more clear by the crew as they hurriedly checked and rechecked sensor readings and the engine output, whilst constantly updating the ships navigation computer and reality bubble parameters accordingly.

Robotnik had seen fleets made-up of hundreds of ships disappear in the blink of an eye, never to be seen again. All because of a slight navigational error or an unexpected warp storm. Millions of souls lost in an infinite blood red ocean. In the end, they were but petals adrift on an infinitely cold and lonely sea, left to the mercy of an uncaring tide.

"Realspace window forming."

This must have been how the mariners of ancient Earth felt, Robotnik thought, to be at the mercy of something greater than oneself. He detested it, feeling so small and insignificant. Still it was a necessary evil, without warpspace the distances between the stars were impossible to travel. And the star that lay at Robotnik's final destination was very special indeed, if the information he had received was accurate.

Nevertheless, it was worth the risk to his reputation, and even his life, in convincing the Warlord to commission this 'little' expedition. Fate favoured the bold, and with more than twenty warships and auxiliary vessels under his command, the Warlord had placed a lot of trust in him and his information.

"Vanguard jumping to real space now."

A small ship, little more than a jump engine and a sensor package bolted together, detached from a long strand of metal cabling that had tethered it to a specially designed transport. The small ship disappeared in a flash of rainbow colour as it burrowed through the barriers that separated the two realities.

One thing still bothered Robotnik however, a thought that niggled at the back of his mind and refused to release its acid grip, casting an uncomfortable layer of doubt on his actions thus far.

The stranger who had approached him had asked for nothing in return. All he had said was that what Robotnik would do with the information would be payment enough. Could he truly have known though, and if so, what would he gain from his actions? Perhaps the figure had simply been a manifestation of Robotnik's destiny, sent by some surviving god of ancient Earth to usher him along the path destiny had chosen.

"Vanguard returning in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..."

Robotnik heard a collective intake of breath from the crew. So much rode on the little ships return, the months that it had taken to get here all for nothing if it did not. A heartbeat later the small ship reappeared. It sat in the same space it had occupied mere minutes before, waiting to be retrieved by its mothership, as if it had never moved.

"Vanguard reports that everything is clear, proceeding to exit warpspace. Jumping in three hundred seconds," a faceless subordinate announced, snapping Robotnik from his reverie. He continued to gaze through the observation window, ignoring the renewed fervour of the crew behind, as perhaps the most dangerous part of their long journey awaited them.

The corridors between warpspace and realspace created by these windows were notoriously unstable. And deservedly so, a single mistake could collapse the tunnel and crush the ship into atomic dust before anybody could have a chance to realise what had occurred.

Alert lights flashed red up and down the ship as klaxons hollered a warning. "Realspace transition imminent," a hollow voice echoed through the corridors, as the ship's crew hurriedly strapped everything down before doing the same to themselves.

The bridge crew buckled themselves into their chairs as they continued to work away at the computers. Robotnik just stood at the front of the bridge not tearing his gaze from what lay beyond the observation window.

The deck beneath him began to vibrate as the ship moved to cross the dimensional bridge. The blood red fog beyond the observation window began to churn, betraying glimpses of inky blackness. The vibration grew suddenly into a violent shuddering, forcing Robotnik to take a handhold on a nearby railing in order to steady himself.

Like a curtain drawn back the blood red retreated, giving way to cold blackness speckled with white. The infinite red ocean was but a dim memory.

Suddenly the bridge was engulfed by the silent darkness, as if the blackness of the void they now occupied was somehow infectious, but Robotnik barely noticed, not even when his feet left the deck as the artificial gravity cut out.

His eyes narrowed and a faint smile played across his lips. Straight ahead, twinkling invitingly in the distance, almost indistinguishable from amongst the cluster of stars in which it hid, lay his prey. A small blue-green world; Mobius.

Lights began to flicker on again and computers hummed back into existence, as life was breathed into the old ship once more. Loose items that had floated freely moments before crashed back to the deck and Robotnik returned to his feet with a gentle thump, as gravity slowly regained it's grip on all.

Several silent minuets passed until an officer announced, "All ships report that realspace transition was successful."

Robotnik finally turned to face the rest of the bridge; he could see the sense of relief on their faces. "How long until we arrive at the target?" he asked the officer at the navigation station.

"Fifteen hours and forty-seven minutes, my Lord," the officer answered after hurriedly checking his instruments.

Robotnik turned to leave, his boots clanking along the raised walkway that ran down the centre of the bridge. "Snively, I want the scans of the planet sent to my terminal as soon as they come in." The bridge doors parted obediently and Robotnik stepped through.

Snively, a diminutive man with a rather large needle-like nose and a handful of wispy hairs that clung desperately to the top of his head, was Robotnik's second in command, and he could not stand the insufferable little man. However, even Robotnik had his superiors, for now. Speaking of which: "Oh, and send a report to Warlord Julian, tell him we have arrived at the target system."

"At once, my Lord." He heard Snively's characteristic nasal whine reply, before the doors had had a chance to hiss shut behind him and block the noise.

Robotnik made the short walk from the bridge to his private chambers, through the gloom of the cramped corridors that snaked their way throughout the old ship's hull like clogged arteries.

"Lord." The two guards that stood an eternal vigil at the entrance of Robotnik's chamber saluted at the Fleet Lord's approach. Robotnik paid them no attention as he walked passed them and entered.

The cavernous space contrasted sharply with the rest of the ship. It was like a bright and silvery oasis in a vast and decaying desert. The stark metal of the walls and floor shone in reflected starlight that pored in through the massive observation window that dominated the far side of the chamber. The window curved upwards until it met the ceiling, and looked out upon an endless sea of glinting stars.

"Did you detect any unusual transmissions after the jump?" Robotnik asked the empty chamber as he took his seat at his desk in the centre of the room.

The desk was made of the same stark metallic-silver that everything else in the room was, it curved out of the floor in the shape of a crescent moon. It seemed to lap against Robotnik, like a solitary wave in a deathly calm ocean. A computer monitor and keyboard were set into its smooth surface.

"I did, master," the empty chamber answered. Robotnik look up from the monitor to see a wiry green man veiled in shadow. He returned Robotnik's gaze through beady red eyes, slick greenish-black hair radiated from the side of his head in eight thick strands, like a spider's legs.

"Which ship?" A spy! That was all he needed, a snivelling toad of the Warlord's slinking around unchecked.

Politics in Julian's court was a rather complicated and tiresome affair. While Robotnik had long been his favourite, he still had many detractors within the ranks of the other Fleet and Planetary Lords. Obviously one had gained enough influence to catch the Warlord's ear, and begin sowing the seeds of Robotnik's eventual downfall. Just as Robotnik had done to his predecessor.

"The _Autumn Rain,_ master."

"Hmmph." He would have to deal with it somehow, and quietly too. No need to get the Warlord all worried about nothing now.

"That is all, Grimer," Robotnik dismissed the creature. "Attend to your other tasks. We have much to prepare for."

"As you wish, master." With a bow the creature disappeared back into the shadows.

Several minutes after Grimer had gone Robotnik opened one of the desk's drawers and removed a small metallic box, which he set carefully onto the surface of the desk. He slipped the glove from his right hand and placed his thumb on the small pad of the fingerprint-DNA scanner, a second later the box clicked as it unlocked. From inside he produced an amount of black cloth, unfolding the cloth revealed a small crystal.

Robotnik held the delicate crystal between his forefinger and thumb, light gleaming off its faceted surface. A data crystal, technology not used for over a thousand years. Robotnik smirked, technology that no one had been able to replicate in over a thousand years. What he held in his hand was a relic from a forgotten time. A time when it meant something, beyond the simple struggle for survival, to be human. A time which, Robotnik knew, was his destiny to bring around once more.

The terminals incessant chirping broke Robotnik's train of thought, the screen recessed in the desk announced that it had an incoming message. He quickly wrapped the crystal in its protective cloth and placed it back into the box, before tapping a key. Snively's face appeared on the screen.

"What do you want?" Robotnik snapped.

"The scans you requested of the planet are coming in now, my Lord."

"Is there anything else?" Robotnik asked when Snively did not immediately disappear.

"Well, sir," Snively said nervously. "The first scans suggest that the planet has a mid to late level five civilization, which is far higher than you indicated."

"Obviously, do you have a point or not?" Hmmm, level five, that was nearly spacefaring capability. While he knew the crystal's information to be out of date, the level of the indigenous populations' advancement had been higher than he hoped.

"Well, I was wondering if the forces we have will be enough."

"They will do. I assume you have already sent this to General Granite?"

"Yes sir."

"Very well, after he has had a chance to look over the readings himself, have him come here."

"Certainly, my Lord," Snively inclined his head in a slight bow and a moment later his face was gone, replaced with that of a planet.

Robotnik flitted through some of the readings, there was little there yet and it would take them months to scan the whole planet thoroughly.

He stood and slowly paced up the steps towards the observation window. He watched Mobius; the planet was little more than a speck of light so very far away. Mobius was a big planet, but at least it was a start.

Several quiet minutes passed before Robotnik heard the hiss of his chamber's door. He turned to see a stern looking man with a thick bushy moustache, General Granite. He stood to attention at the foot of Robotnik's half-moon desk, in his crisp grey uniform.

"You summoned me, Milord?" the man said.

"General Granite." Robotnik smiled broadly. "Yes. I'd like to discuss with you your plans for the invasion of Mobius."

- - - -

Mobius continued to spin serenely in the void, without a care. Circling its parent star as it had done so forever.

But every second that passed slowly brought the swarm of shadows closer, bringing with them a promise of death and destruction. Like a plague of hungry locusts ready to descend on fresh fields of cereals, and cover the little world in darkness forevermore. Second by second, the cold uncaring shadows grew closer, ever closer.


	3. Chapter 2

**Two**

A warm summer breeze gently caressed the land as the sun slowly brought its head above the horizon; the early morning light washing over the land below, warming it from the chill of the night with the prospect of the new day.

Below, the city of Knothole was beginning to wake from its nightly slumber. The huge metropolis sat snugly between the Great Forest in the west and a vast inland sea to the east. To the north, grassy fields slowly gave way to gently rolling hillocks, while mountains skirted the city to the south.

The grand city lay at the heart of the kingdom of Mercia, ruled by the Acorn dynasty which had reigned for nearly a thousand years, since the wars of the thirteen duchies. It was the fifteenth year of the reign of the current monarch, King Maximilian Acorn III.

Shops were beginning to open as people made their way to work and school. Among them was a young hedgehog, he clutched the strap of a backpack slung haphazardly over one shoulder. His blue quills flowing in the wind as he raced through the crowded streets, nimbly dodging and weaving through the throng of the city's waking population.

Sonic was late for school, he'd crawled out of bed barely ten minutes ago. Now he had a piece of cold, and slightly charred, toast hanging from his mouth as he ran through the streets, leftover from the rushed breakfast that his mum insisted he needed to start the day properly with.

The young hedgehog faltered as he rounded a corner and a landmark familiar to him came into view. A memorial to those who had died in the Great War, the second war against the echidnas.

He shot a quick glance to the left and the right, the others weren't here yet. That's odd, they must be running late today as well, the hedgehog thought.

Sonic slowed as he came closer to the memorial, an obelisk that reached high into the sky. The column was inscribed with the names of thousands who had died in the conflict, though that only reflected a tiny fraction of the total. Perched atop was a bronze statue of a hedgehog in a military uniform, standing tall and proud, in defiance of all who would try to do harm to Mercia.

He liked to come here to think. To think about the past, the future, and what could have been. He looked up at the inscriptions carved into the obelisk and could hardly make them out, but somewhere amongst the thousands of names, was his dad's. He had never known his dad, he was killed when Sonic was too young to remember, near the end of the war. But his mum and uncle would often tell Sonic stories about him.

"SONIC!" cried a familiar voice, startling him from his reverie. Before Sonic could react, a girl appeared from out of the surrounding crowds. She flung her arms around Sonic's neck, embracing him in a cast-iron hug that could give a bear a run for it's money.

"Get off, Amy," Sonic gasped. "You're choking me!"

Reluctantly, Amy released the half dead and severely deflated hedgehog from her vice-like grip.

"Sorry," she apologised meekly, brushing a lock of pink hair from her hazel coloured eyes.

"What took you so long? You lot are usually here before me," he asked while panting, trying to regain his breath.

"Oh, we were." She leaned against the base of the memorial and closed her eyes. "But then Sonia found out that Manic was going to smuggle a stink bomb into school. When she tired to get it off him, he ran away. We were just looking for him, then I saw you were here."

"Really, what was he going to do with one of those?"

"I don't know, set it off in the teacher's lounge again, maybe."

"So, where are Manic and Sonia now then?" Sonic asked as he scanned the surrounding crowds for his other friends.

"Right behind you," came a voice from - predictably - behind him. Sonic turned to see that a pair of hedgehogs had flanked him, he was surrounded. Eep, no chance of escape now.

Manic, the green hedgehog, smirked at him whilst his twin sister, Sonia, a purple hedgehog, glowered.

"So, what kept you?" Manic asked as they all began down the street. "We were gonna to set off without you."

"Hehe," Sonic let out a nervous laugh. "I overslept."

"Up too late playing video games again? Naughty, naughty, Sonic," Manic waved his finger about in an exaggerated fashion, pointing at Sonic.

"No, I didn't," Sonic insisted.

"Did you bring your part of the project?" Sonia asked brusquely, a serious look on her face.

"Yeah, it's right here." Sonic said, producing a scruffy dog-eared folder from his bag. "That's why I overslept; I was up nearly all night getting the last of it done. Who knew so much stuff happened during the Crusade?"

The Crusade - also known as the Unification War - happened more than two thousand years ago. Lazaar, who was a genius tactician, - and was even said to poses magical powers - over the course of forty years unified the many disparate hedgehog kingdoms under his banner. After his death the empire he had spent his life creating splintered into thirteen duchies.

"Good, just so long as it's finished," Sonia said, relief clear in her voice, the pent up worry that had been building since the night before, given release. "I don't want to get bad marks for not handing in the assignment because of you… again."

"That wasn't my fault," Sonic protested, indignant at the accusations being levelled at him. He hated history, absolutely detested the subject with every fibre of his being. As far as he was concerned the past should stay dead and buried.

"Well, if you didn't leave it until the last minute, as you always do," Amy said, and Sonic shot her a venomous glance.

"You're lucky, just you wait 'till next year," he promised. "Then we'll see who's complaining."

"Unlike you, Sonic, I do my homework when I'm supposed to," Amy said. "Anyway, I like history." Sonic made a disgusted face at her remark. "Grow up, Sonic," she said with a smirk, that she tried quickly to hide.

"We're here," Manic gave a defeated sigh, looking up at the ominous wrought-iron gates that marked the entrance of the school. "Welcome to another day in he-." Sonia thwacked Manic with her bag. "Ow, what was that for?" Manic said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't start, after what you tried earlier, we're lucky we got here in time." Sonia glowered at him.

"Lucky, huh?" The green hedgehog rolled his eyes. "Define lucky."

He was answered with a cold stare.

"See you later, Amy," Sonic said to her as he, Manic and Sonia turned, heading towards the largest, and oldest of the assembled buildings.

"See you at break," Amy called back to the trio, suddenly dejected and feeling lonely. After several moments of watching Sonic disappear into the old building, she turned and skulked off to her class in one of the newer ones.

- - - -

Knuckles shivered in the chill evening air, his red dreadlock-like spines stirring in the gentle breeze. He made his way through the bright, artificially illuminated streets of Grand-Metropolis. He was late back from his duties at the emerald shrine, yet again.

Once they were done with the days lessons the Guardian would tell Knuckles stories of when he served as a chaplain in the cities militia, during the war, and tonight was no exception. He regaled his young apprentice with the tale of the siege of bakrasa. A small farming hamlet, where he and a hundred other survivors of the earlier slaughter, held against a Mercian army of more than ten times their size. For five days and nights they held out until the Mercian army finally broke. When the Guardian got going time flew.

As Knuckles arrived at the barracks where he was stationed - though he himself was not part of the city's military - he entered the building and took the stairs - he never did like the idea of being trapped in a small metal box that hung from a thin strand of metal cabling - to the third floor.

He yawned as he opened the door to his quarters. It was a small room, with little more than a bed to sleep on and a cupboard to hold his few possessions, but it sufficed. He kicked off his shoes and sprawled out on the bed.

"Computer, any messages?" he asked out of habit.

"You have two new messages," came a clipped monotone drawl in answer.

Knuckles sat up, and for a moment he stared blankly at the monitor that was set into the room's wall, he didn't actually expect there to be any messages. He never got massages.

"Play the first message."

An elderly, light brown, echidna appeared on the screen. "Congratulations on your apprenticeship to a Guardian, son! And in my city no less." The aged echidna beamed. "I look forward to meeting up with you sometime soon." The image froze at the messages end.

Knuckles' brow furrowed, he hadn't told his farther that he was coming here, and hoped that he wouldn't find out. It wasn't such a surprise that he did though, as he did run the city, and Knuckles realised he would learn of his placement sooner or later. Though he would have preferred it later, much much later.

Though he was genuinely surprised by his father's apparent sincerity. He and Pochacamac didn't see eye-to-eye very often, and ever since joining the Order all those years ago, Knuckles hadn't seen him. Maybe he really had changed? He shook the thought from his sleep addled head. Yeah, and maybe hedgehogs would stop being such savages.

"Play second message." A young female echidna appeared on the screen. "Tikal!" he gasped.

"Um, hi, Knuckles," she smiled shyly. "I couldn't get hold of you earlier, so I hope you get this massage. I'll be a little late for our dinner tonight, sorry. See you later. Love you, big brother."

He immediately looked at the clock, it was too late to call her back now. It would have to wait until morning.

"I'm so sorry, Tikal," Knuckles whispered to himself, as if she may hear and forgive him. The words sounding hollow and meaningless in the empty room. He cursed himself, he had completely forgotten about the dinner. He could imagine her waiting hours for him to turn up, and then eventually going home disappointed.

They hadn't seen each other for years, and tonight was the first night since he had arrived in the city, that Knuckles was supposed to finish his duties early enough to be able to see her.

"Computer, standby mode." In response its screen went blank.

Knuckles sighed and lay back on the bed thinking of how he could repay her, but within a few seconds he was in the grip of a troubled sleep.

His dreams took him back to when he was still a small child, of the happy times when his father still smiled. The images of this happy family that danced in his mind, were almost alien to him. Until the blurred image of his mother disappeared, and their father became cold and quiet, brooding and angry. And suddenly it had became all too familiar.

A memory flashed through his mind. Of himself on a train, watching his little sister weeping on the platform. She desperately reached out for him, as the train slowly pulled away, but she was rooted to the spot by the arms of their stone faced father.

- - - -

The day's lessons had been long and boring, as usual, and Sonic couldn't wait for PE later on. Time crawled on ever slower until, at last, it was the lesson before PE. The dreaded subject; history.

The rigging bells heralded them as Sonic filed into the classroom with more than a dozen others. Mr Stripe, the history teacher, was a greying black hedgehog, he sat at his desk at the head of the class, reading a newspaper; '_Echidna's supplying weapons to the Entente nations!'_ blazed across the front page.

Mr Stripe was a retired colonel, he had fought the echidnas in the Great War and had lost his right leg, bellow his knee. He was grouchy, and he seemed especially short tempered with Sonic; who he seemed to take a perverse pleasure in picking to answer questions which he must of known Sonic could never answer.

Sonic took a seat at his desk, settling into the uncomfortably hard plastic chair, next to the window, he watched the class currently out on the playing fields. He longed to be out there with them, with the wind in his hair and the exhilaration of the race, rather than stuck here in this stuffy classroom, being filled with information that was never going to be any use to him later on in life.

A cough startled him from his daydream. "Wha," he glanced left and right, suddenly remembering where he was and realising that Mr Stripe was standing right in front of him.

"Well, can you answer the question?"

"Huh, what question?"

"What happened in the year twenty?" Mr Stripe sounded like he was getting impatient with Sonic, again.

"Um, Mercia's first contact with the echidnas," he hazarded a guess, randomly plucking an answer from his fuzzy memory of history.

"No, Sonic," the teacher sighed, he shook his head in disappointment, though so subtly that only he knew. He didn't know why he bothered with Sonic, he was a smart lad but seemed to care for nothing but sports.

Mr Stripe cast his gaze around the room, picking out the faces from his class that knew the answer. "Anyone know? Sonia?" She had raised her hand and was waving it about enthusiastically, trying to get the teacher's attention.

"Duke Rohit of Hwicce assassinated Emperor Lazaar whilst out hunting, sir," she answered.

"Which led to?"

"The fall of the Unified Empire, and the start of the thirteen duchies period."

"Good." Mr Stripe turned and paced back to the front of the class.

"Know-it-all," Manic whispered as he poked his sister in the back with a blunt pencil.

"Shush," she hissed back at him.

Thirteen Duchies; Mr Stripe wrote on the blackboard with a stubby stick of chalk, before circling it several times.

"This was the start of the Thirteen Duchies period. After Emperor Lazaar was assassinated, Duke Tiberius Acorn of Mon tried to rally the other eleven Dukes against the Duke of Hwicce. But before the remainder of the council could decide on a course of action, Rohit attacked the capital. He caught the council off guard and managed to capture or kill several of the other Dukes …"

The lesson just seemed to drag on forever, and Sonic couldn't help but stare at the clock. It was five to two, and he was beginning to wonder if that, somehow, the clock had become stuck and that this nightmare would never end.

"Duke Tiberius allied with the Dukes of Ergyng and Gwynllwg…"

A crimson light flashed outside and the whole room shook. The lights creaked as they swung from the ceiling and a low rumble, like thunder, resounded off the walls, rattling the panes of glass in the window frames.

Sonic looked around, woken for his stupor, the lesson seemed to have stopped as everyone else also looked around in slight bewilderment. There was another flash, and the shaking returned, stronger this time, followed by the same low rolling thunder.

Another flash, and the windows in the room imploded, glass flying everywhere. Sonic felt a sharp searing pain above his right eye as a shard the size of his fist nicked him.

He was caught in the sudden surge as the screaming and panic stricken body of students rushed away from the shattering windows. He fought his way through the crowed and staggered toward what remained of the windows, desperate to see what was happening.

Sonic saw the field his imagination had been running along seconds before, had been reduced to little more than a smouldering crater.

"What on Mobius!" Sonic gasped as he saw the spectre that dominated the sky beyond, blocking out the sun. Red light began to coalesce along the length and breadth of the ship, washing the city in a hellish crimson sea.

The ship flashed, briefly revealing its pock marked and battle scared hull, unleashing fiery bolts of superheated energy that plummeted toward the planet below. Impacting the city, they left smouldering craters where buildings once stood. People panicked and ran screaming in every direction as yet more explosions shook the city. The rain of fire cutting up Knothole like a burning scythe.

Sirens that hadn't been heard for nearly a decade, resounded in the streets and alleys of the old city. Stirring old and bitter memories in some, and in those too young to remember the meaning of the noisy portent, bewilderment and fear.

- - - -

The ground shook, disturbing dust from the ceiling and Knuckles from his uncomfortable slumber. "Wha?" he asked aloud to no one in particular as he groggily got up out of bed.

"Computer, what's going on?"

The device answered with a hiss of static.

Knuckles pulled on his shoes as he stumbled over to the window of his quarters, flicking a switch the blinds shot open. The scene that greeted him shook the echidna to his very core. Grand-Metropolis was ablaze. A massive alien ship dominated the gloomy twilight skyline, firing seemingly at random into the city below, blowing huge chunks of it, and undoubtedly hundreds of echidnas, away. Dozens of smaller ships buzzed around it or were engaged in vicious dogfights with the few echidna fighters in the air.

"What in the goddesses' name?" The red echidna stared blankly at the carnage. Who could do this? The hedgehogs aren't this advanced, plus they'd been peace for years.

An explosion above rattled the pane of glass in the window frame, seconds before an echidna fighter plummeted past, crashing into the street below.

Knuckles was fully awake now, more awake than he had ever been. His heart raced and he scrambled for the door, falling into the corridor and hubbub beyond. Soldiers rushed up and down the corridor and shouting echoed throughout. Knuckles pulled a soldier to one side.

"Guardian!?" the soldier blurted in surprise. The title was honorific, he was really just an apprentice , one day he would be a Guardian, just not quite yet. The trooper placed his hand on his chest, over his heart, and bowed his head in a brief salute.

"What's going on?" Knuckles asked.

"The city is under attack, other than that I don't know, sir."

Knuckles nodded and the soldier continued down the corridor, as Knuckles turned and went the other way, toward the stairwell.

Nothing could have prepared Knuckles for what greeted him on the ground floor. Bodies lay strewn across the floor, ignored in favour of the many wounded and dieing. Blood was everywhere. Military medics and civilian doctors, alike, tried their best against the growing number of wounded solders and civilians, but they were being swamped.

This was no hospital and the medics had to use every surface and table for rushed operations, they didn't have time to clean or prepare them properly so they were often still covered in blood from the last operation performed there.

The patients mildly injured, or with non-life threatening wounds were left until someone could spare a few minuets to have a look at them, let alone treat them.

Knuckles worked his way through the screams of agony and moans of despair; he was relived when he finally got out of the barracks, though not for long.

Grand-Metropolis was utterly devastated, bodies and rubble from shattered buildings were scattered everywhere, survivors scrambled to get away to some imagined safety, or were desperately searching for lost friends and family amongst the rubble. Firemen fought the best they could against blazes that had joined the invaders in destroying the city.

The sky was alight with bright greens and reds as the battle above continued. A bulky alien fighter roared overhead, looking decidedly primitive compared to the sleek and elegant echidna fighter that followed it. The echidna fighter fired, slashes of green light splashed across the alien crafts hull, scorching holes into it, before the small ship burst into flames and the wreckage came plummeting toward the planet.

A blindingly bright white light flashed across the sky, forcing Knuckles to shield his eyes with his arms. After a few seconds, the light began to fade, and the sky slowly turned orange.

"At last," Knuckles said to himself. "The city-shield is up." He had never seen it before, it had never been needed since it was built a few years ago and Knuckles preyed to the goddess that it would hold.

The orange sheath sparked and flashed under the pummelling the alien warship was giving it, but it was holding. Another alien fighter roared overhead and Knuckles realised that while the shield may have locked the alien warship out, it also trapped the rest of them in.

He began down the street; he had to get to the emerald shrine, and quickly. The library was straight ahead, the emerald shrine wasn't far from there.

Behind him came a thunderous whirring noise. A large alien ship, much bigger than one of the fighters, came down the street in the direction Knuckles had come, skimming just above the buildings.

"Run for your lives!" A group of a dozen, or so, echidnas fled before the flying machine. There was a sudden motion on its underside, followed by a staccato beat. The group fell to the floor in bloodied tatters, more bodies added to those that already littering the streets.

Knuckles looked around quickly for somewhere to hide, panic surging through him. There, the shattered entrance to a building that had once been someone's home. Knuckles dived through the door frame as the ship neared, and preyed to the goddess that he hadn't been spotted by the thing.

The whirring grew in intensity, Knuckles had to clasp his hands to his ears. The pain! He felt as if his eardrums were about to explode. But the sound eventually subsided, growing dimmer and dimmer until, finally, it passed. He popped his head out looking up and down the street. Good, it was clear again.

Knuckles was about to leave when he heard the faintest whimpering, he withdrew back into the house to investigate. "Hello," he called. "Is there anyone in here?"

The room was dark and empty. Nothing was alive or moving, except the curtains that were limply blown in a gentle breeze. He slowly moved into the back room, the second floor had collapsed into it, and the place was covered in debris. The stairs were to his immediate right, the top shorn off by a crashed fighter that hung precariously over the edge of the floor, ready to fall at any given moment and crush anyone stupid enough to be in the room. The room itself was awash in an eerie orange light, which flooded in through the hole made by the downed fighter.

Knuckles quickly scanned the room for the source of the sound; he nearly missed her, only noticing when she stirred slightly. A small reddish-brown echidna, covered in dust and debris, sobbed in the corner opposite the crashed fighter, she was maybe eight or nine. Knuckles rushed over to her.

"Are you okay, are you hurt?" he asked, as calmly and soothingly as he could.

The little girl looked up at him through bleary tear filled eyes and shook her head fractionally.

"Where are your parents?"

As she stared up at him with her blue, bloodshot eyes, Knuckles saw, for a split second, Tikal, hurt and scared and alone. He mentally shook the thought away, she'd be fine, he told himself, she'd probably be safer than anyone in one of the shelters. He would check when he got to the emerald shrine.

She pointed at the rubble behind the red echidna. Oh dear, what to do? What to do? He had to get to the emerald chamber, the lives of everyone in the city could depend on it, but he couldn't just leave her here alone. She could get killed, she could die scared and alone when he could have easily saved her. He was an apprentice guardian, it was his duty was to protect the emerald and everyone in the city. Every single one… that settled it.

The guardian will give me a right rollicking when I get there, Knuckles thought to himself.

He knelt beside her. "Hi, I'm Knuckles, I'm a guardian. What's your name?" He asked calmly and as reassuringly as he could.

"Lara-Su," she sniffed.

"Okay, Lara-Su, I'll take you to a shelter. You'll be safe there." He held out his hand so she could pull herself up.

"Y-you'll take me to some where safe?"

"Yes," Knuckles smiled, trying to comfort her. Slowly, timidly she reached out for his hand.


	4. Chapter 3

**Three**

"Okay!" Mr Stripe bellowed, trying to draw the attention of his class away from the calamity happening outside and to himself. "We're all going to calmly head down to the school's air-raid shelter. Just like the in the drills." But it was no use, the spark had caught and panic tore through the students like a fire blazing through a drought ridden forest.

Sonic was pushed and shoved as the rest of the class, blinkered by blind panic, collectively made for the only exit to the room. There were screams as those too slow were tripped and then trampled by their desperate classmates.

"Manic! Sonia!" Sonic called, struggling against the surging tide of bodies, trying to find his friends.

Several hectic seconds passed until the last of the panicked teens had drained through the bottleneck, escaping into the corridors and chaos beyond, leaving the classroom looking like the proverbial tornado had just hit it.

Desks were overturned and paper was strewn across the floor, blown in the wind that now howled through the shattered windows, shards of glass sparkling over every surface. The flashing light and low rumble continued through it all, as outside the world was burning like a funeral pyre.

"Sonia!" Sonic yelped as he saw her lying on the floor, clutching her leg. Manic was already crouched by her side. "Are you okay?" Sonic asked as he approached.

"I think so," she whimpered. She tried to stand but immediately fell, collapsing back onto the hard floor as her injured leg gave.

"Let me see." Mr Stripe came over and took a quick look at her injured leg. "It's not broken. You've just twisted your ankle, you'll be fine," he said. Then turning to Sonic and Manic, "You two help her walk." The pair did as told and supported her as she stood again, this time more successfully.

Stripe saw to a few other injured students before returning to his desk. He opened one of the draws and removed a small gun. Looking up to face what remained of his class he said, "We had better get to the shelter."

"I always knew that this day would come," the retired Colonel thought to himself as he took a box of ammunition and began to load his old weapon, "the day that the echidnas broke the treaty." For years he had argued against the Ministry of War's dismantling of the military, but they wouldn't listen, as far as they were concerned the war was over.

But now wasn't the time to ruminate over the past, he had his class to protect. Stripe sighed before standing and headed for the door, he paused as he reached the threshold and turned to the remainder of his class. The shell-shocked students all stood in a daze, like statues, just staring at each other. "Come on then," he said impatiently.

He led the group quickly through the near deserted halls of the school, meeting up with the remains of a few other classes as they went, down to one of the entrances of the shelter.

- - - -

Lara-Su screamed, but her terrified wails were drowned out by the pitched battle that was unfolding ahead of them. Knuckles quickly pulled her back the way they had come, down an intersecting street. He peeked back around the corner, the shelter was only a little further up the street but it was now blocked by a dozen of the invaders, cutting them off.

The aliens were being pushed further and further back down the street, towards them, by two bulbous yellow robots with long black leather-like limbs. The robots easily shrugging off the aliens' primitive weapons fire continued firing volleys of emerald green laser bolts in return.

Suddenly one of the great machines exploded as a rocket impacted its hull, showering the street with glinting yellow debris. Mines detonated on the roadside collapsing the remains of a small building on the other, burying the machine in rubble. The dented and half crushed head of the robot hissed before popping open; an echidna soldier scrambling from the wreckage, but he was mercilessly cut to ribbons by the aliens as he attempted to flee.

Knuckles watched, powerless to do anything other than clench his fists and grit his teeth and stay hidden. He had neither weapons nor armour; he'd be killed in a second if he went out there. He also had the girl to safeguard. The inability to do anything to help frustrated the echidna; the Guardian had always said his temper would get him into trouble one of these days.

A shadow passed overhead as two more of the robots glided down on black wing-like arms to land amidst the aliens, catching them by surprise. Their wings folded back into arms in an instant and the robots began to tear the invaders apart, smashing bones and bodies. The battle was brief, leaving the robots victorious.

Standing triumphantly over the shattered alien and echidna corpses that littered the blood stained rubble of the street, their victory seeming more than a little Pyrrhic to Knuckles. As quickly as they had arrived they disappeared, presumably, to continue their seemingly endless mission.

Now, with the path clear Knuckles with Lara-Su, quickly made their way to the shelter. Hundreds of panic stricken people swarmed the entrance of the local shelter, desperate to get in as dozens of guards tried desperately to maintain order and process them through as quickly as possible.

Knuckles approached one of the guards. "G-Guardian." He did a double take at Knuckles' approach.

"I want you to take this girl into the shelter," Knuckles said.

"But, Guardian, I can't leave my post my orders are to…," the guard stammered.

"Now you've got new orders," Knuckles glared at the guard, trying to be as intimidating as he possibly could.

"At once, Guardian," the nervous guard replied.

Knuckles ushered Lara-Su towards the guard. "Don't leave me!" she cried as Knuckles turned to leave.

"Listen, I'll come back and make sure your alright, okay?" Knuckles knelt and said to the girl.

"Okay," she repeated meekly and reluctantly allowed herself to be led away by the guard.

Knuckles stood and watched for a moment as they both disappeared into the bustling crowd at the shelters' entrance before turning and running back the way he'd come.

He pushed thoughts of Tikal that were beginning to surfacing away. I have a job to do, he told himself. She'll be fine without me.

- - - -

The air-raid shelter was already jam-packed when they arrived. It was little more than a cluster of small reinforced rooms under the school, built when echidna air raids were commonplace, and the school was half as large.

Sonic and Manic sat Sonia down against the wall. "Thanks," she said, relieved to be able to take the pressure off her injured foot.

Something had been gnawing away at Sonic's gut and he couldn't put it off any longer. "I hope Amy's alright," Sonic whispered to Manic.

"She's probably already in here somewhere," Manic said gesturing to the crowds already here, trying to cheer his friend up.

"Yeah, your probably right," Sonic sighed. "Listen I'm gonna go look for her. You see if you can find us some water or something." He had to make sure she was alright.

"Sure."

Sonic searched the packed and under lit rooms, but he couldn't find any trace of her. In fact he hadn't seen anyone from her class there. Disappointed and with a growing sense of unease he made his way through the crowd back to his friends.

"I can't find her anywhere," he said as Manic offered him a polystyrene cup full of murky water.

"I'm sure she's okay," he said reassuringly.

"No, I have to find her," Sonic insisted, a determinedness glinted in his eye which made it clear that he wasn't going to back down.

"Ok, I'll come with you."

"No you'd better stay here with Sonia," Sonic said as he turned and slipped through the crowds towards the exit.

"Be careful," Manic said as he watched his friend disappear into the displaced crowds, a look of concern on his face. Everyone in the shelter was too preoccupied to notice a young blue hedgehog leaving it.

Sonic ran down the hallways and corridors of the empty school, save for the handfuls of stragglers. He ran down the large stairs in the entrance hall and out through the huge, ancient oak doors. He raced out of the old building and straight across the grounds toward the school's newer buildings.

He focused all his attention on the door ahead of him, scared to see his home ablaze but as he reached out to open the door something made him stop, his eyes involuntarily pulled toward the blazing city.

The rain of destruction ceased as suddenly as it had begun leaving an eyrie silence in its wake, broken only by faint screams in the distance. The sudden silence was deafening.

Mere moments had passed before hundreds of small black shapes emerged from the ship that hung in the sky. Most of the shapes began descending towards the city whilst the rest of them began circling it, like vultures waiting for their dieing prey's final breath.

One of the ships came in low, flying over the school, forcing Sonic to dive into the doorway. Peeking back around the doorway he saw It hovering above the school. It began to descend, landing in the ashen remains of the playing fields, but only just long enough to disgorge three dozen aliens before taking to the sky again and disappearing.

"What in the god's name's are those things?" They quickly fanned out in groups, of four or five heading towards the buildings that made-up the school, including the one whose doorway he was hiding in.

Sonic ducked through the door and into the reception area. He looked left and right for somewhere to hide. The room was almost barren save for a few potted plants and chairs and the reception desk. There was no time left, he could hear the alien's noisy approach, he dived behind the desk moments before the group of the aliens stormed in.

"Clear," one of them shouted, Sonic was too scared to even peek over the top of the desk. His heart was thumping in his chest so loudly that he was sure they could hear him.

"Okay, I want this doing this by the book," came the voice of, Sonic presumed, the leader. "Round up the natives, don't kill them unless you have to, and smash anything that looks important."

"Yes, sir," the rest of the group replied in unison.

"Move out." There was a sudden clatter of movement as the group of aliens left.

Sonic stayed hidden under the desk though, for fear that they might return. It seemed as if hours had passed before he had built up enough courage to poke his head above the desk, it was all clear. With a relieved sigh he continued, now careful to avoid drawing the aliens' attention, to where Amy's classroom was and as had been promised, she wasn't there. He looked through the darkened room. It was like all the other classrooms in the school, desks toppled paper strewn across the floor and the wind howling through shattered windows.

"Amy," he called, but nobody answered. More than a little dejected, but with a sense of relief that she must be safe in the shelter.

"Sonic!" he heard his name cried and turned to see a slightly dishevelled and bruised Amy, standing in the doorway of the classroom.

"Amy, thank the gods you're okay," Sonic said, relief audible in his voice, as he rushed to embrace her.

"Sonic, I'm so glad to see you." They were frozen there for an age, in each others arms. "I knew you would come."

"We've got to go," Sonic whispered in her ear. "It'll be safe in the shelter and we'll wait until it's all over."

Hand in hand the pair made their way quickly across the school grounds. As they hurried through the halls of the old building, toward the shelter's entrance, they heard screams and shouts and gunfire echoing in the distance. Sonic felt the cold fingers of dread bubble up from somewhere deep inside, clutching at his stomach. "Oh no." He preyed that the other's were alright.

- - - -

Doctor Zachary, an old echidna fur white from age, skulked through the shattered streets of Grand-Metropolis. Battles were raging all around him; he didn't care, for he was already long dead inside.

His destination lay straight ahead, the Grand-Metropolis library. The millennia old repository of knowledge wasn't accessible by the general populace of the city, but the old echidna had access to it, to all bar what he wanted. Amongst the historical and scientific archives lay a vault, a vault no one was allowed to enter. Within, it held forbidden knowledge, knowledge that the Order of the Emerald had locked away long, long ago. That is what he wanted.

Most blindly believe what the Order told them; their emeralds and technology were gifts from the sleeping goddess and that the long dark was a punishment for echidnas' sins of arrogance and greed. That the ancients were the avatars of the goddess and left during the long dark. But others like himself searched for the truth.

After decades of research he presented his findings; the ancients weren't the avatars of the goddess but were simply beings from other worlds. And when they left, early echidna tribes scavenged what was left behind. He was mocked and his work ridiculed, the other too scared to support him for fear of reprisal from the Order. His career was ruined and to add insult to injury the Order ransacked his home and confiscated his research.

Then his family left, and since then, with nothing left to lose he had futilely campaigned to have this 'forbidden' knowledge released, to redeem himself. All he got in return were thinly veiled threats.

He was going to get that knowledge tonight, one way or another. What lay just across the street that had become a makeshift battlefield was the proof that he was right. Vindication.

His heart raced and his pace quickened as he approached the stairs that led to the ancient building. He was about to ascend when he was nearly knocked to the floor.

"Citizen!" came a surprised voice. "You should get to a shelter, It's dangerous out here."

He turned, and saw who had nearly knocked him to the floor. "Oh, Guardian," Zachary stammered, just as surprised and subconsciously tightening his grip on the bag he was carrying. "Er, yes. I was just heading to one right now."

The young red echidna nodded but his gaze lingered on him for several painful seconds before he finally continued on his way, racing down the street. Zachary waited for the Guardian to disappear from sight before he, himself, continued his own journey to destiny.

- - - -

It hurt to move, pain lancing through his body every time he tried.

He lay there on the concrete, in the dust and rubble and darkness, for what felt like hours. It was silent, except for a faint crackling. It was warm and comfortable, almost serene.

Something in the back of his mind, though, urged him forward, pressing him to act and he found that could not fight this instinct. Pushing aside his feelings of content, he forced open his heavy eyelids.

He was greeted by a crystal clear sky. A column of smoke, lazily drifting upwards in the cool, late afternoon breeze, was all that spoiled the picturesque view.

Ignoring the screams of pain his body seemed to make in protest of the movement, he sat up. He found that he lay on the side of a road, in a rubble strewn street.

Directly over from him lay a burnt out truck on its side, half buried into the side of a collapsed building. A logo of a sword and shield with the letters G.U.N. at it's centre, could bee seen adorning its side. A fire was clinging desperately to existence on the shell of the vehicle and its limb-like flames licked a dozen charred cylinders, which had spilled from the back of the truck.

Another cylinder lay open a few feet from him, it spewed a stream of bubbling liquids.

"Where am I?" His mind was a blank. "Argh." His head throbbed as he tried to think. It felt as if something was trying to breakout of his skull.

A flash of memory; people, two of them, were talking. Their voices muffled, he couldn't make out what they said.

He fell to his knees the pain was so intense, it felt like there was a knife slicing through his mind. The pain subsided, and rather than standing back up, he stayed there, crouched and breathing heavily.

Something glinted in the light, catching his eye. Leaning over he noticed that it was a dog tag, its chain broken. He picked it up and turned it over, reading the words engraved in the fragile sliver of metal: _Shadow 008._

"Shadow? Is that me?"

The sound of heavy footsteps followed by voices alerted him to another presence, he looked up in time to see two surprised-looking creatures fumbling for weapons that hung at their sides.

Something clicked in his mind and he was on his feet before he knew what was happening. He suddenly felt like he was watching his own actions through a screen, somewhere miles away, as he ran headlong towards the two aliens. They had raised their weapons now, but they weren't fast enough, he leaped towards them and had vaulted over their heads before they managed to fire. He landed deftly behind them, with barely a sound, before they had even realised that they had missed.

He spun and saw a knife hanging at the side of one of them, a heartbeat later it jutted from his back. The other whirled, turning to face his attacker, and was about to fire again before the hedgehog's fist met the alien's face, hard. The creature stumbled back, its nose broken and blood streaming onto the floor. The hedgehog turned and snatched the weapon from the clutches of the slain alien, before turning it on his friend, who fell to the ground a second later in bloodied tatters.

After the threat had passed he felt himself regain control, he dropped the weapon and fell to his knees trembling and breathing heavily. What had just happened? It was like something took control of me, he thought. He looked down at his bloodied hands. "What am I?"

He wasn't given any more time to think about what had just happened, as in the distance, but growing nearer, he heard more shouts. He slowly stood and could somehow instinctively tell how many there were, he gulped before turning to run.

He ran through empty and shattered streets, and as he began to think he had gotten away, a huge aircraft roared overhead. He looked around for anywhere to hide, straight ahead through a pair of old gates an equally old building stood, a refuge.

- - - -

Knuckles leaped through the doors to the emerald Shrine as soon as had they parted. Nearly knocking down an old echidna for a second time in five minuets.

"Ahhh! Guardian." He nearly had a heart attack when he realised who he had almost knocked down this time.

"Hmm, so you've finally decided to grace us with your presence."

"I'm truly sorry, Guardian," Knuckles apologised, he knew there was no point in trying to make an excuse for his lateness.

The old echidna gave his apprentice a long hard stare then he pursed his lips and sighed, shaking his head. "What is this generation coming too," he mumbled as he ambled over to the emerald control panel. "Now that you're here, you can start monitoring the energy output of the emerald. Make sure that it doesn't drop bellow ninety percent."

"Yes, Guardian," Knuckles gave a quick bow then proceeded to hurry along and busy himself with his duties, he didn't want to anger the Guardian anymore than he had already.

As Knuckles adjusted the emerald's energy distribution for the umpteenth time in the past several minutes a console on the other side of the chamber suddenly began to emit a noise, startling the apprentice Guardian. It was a fast high pitch squeal as if the console were in immense pain.

"Carry on with your duties," The Guardian said as he quickly answered its distressed cry.

Knuckles couldn't see what was on the console's screen, or what the Guardian was doing, though not for want of trying. Though whatever it was made the Guardian become sickly pale. "I'll be back shortly," he said abruptly. "I have some urgent things to attend to," the old echidna said, suddenly sombre as he left the room.

He left before Knuckles could say anything. Even though he was worried by the Guardian's sudden mood change, Knuckles continued with his assigned tasks, sure that whatever it was the Guardian would sort it out.

- - - -

Doctor Zachary stood at the foot of a reinforced metal door which hid in the depths of the ancient library. He stood in a section few even knew existed. He cast a glance left and right, it was all clear, the Order's guards must have been called away because of the attack, he assumed.

Removing a small palm sized computer from the bag that hung at his side, Zachary hooked it up to the door of the vault. After a few tense heartbeats the computer shrilled announcing its success, the door parted with a hiss. Stepping over the threshold the old echidna entered the dark, cavernous vault. Contained within, upon hundreds and hundreds of shelves were stacks of ancient scrolls and books and parchments too numerous to count. Everything the Order had deemed heretical.

He searched for what seamed like an age, through the various documents archiving all echidna knowledge of the ancients, through knowledge that had been locked away for generations.

As the piles of discarded documents grew Zachary was beginning to loose hope that he would ever find what he was looking for. Reaching for the last scroll on that shelf he quickly scanned through it.

"Yes! Yes, this is it!" the old echidna announced ecstatically, stuffing the scroll into his bag.

"What are you doing, Zachary!?"

The old echidna, caught by surprise quickly turned to face the source of the voice. "You!" Zachary spat, at the sight of the city's old Guardian, his voice dripping with venom. His hand involuntarily slipping into the bag and around the handle of his gun.

The Guardian looked at Zachary pleadingly, "this is dangerous knowledge, Zachary; it was locked away for a reason."

"And what reason is that? Hmm, to protect us from ourselves?"

"Yes! We nearly destroyed each other once. We can't let that happen again."

"So you settled with destroying my family, my life!"

"It was necessary!" The Guardian's expression became solemn. "It was necessary," he repeated as if trying to convince himself. "You were getting too close…"

"Too close to what?" Zachary raged. "Too close to breaking the Orders hold on the council? Too close to shattering your holier-than-thou image and exposing you for the power mad thugs you really are!"

"I know some of the Orders methods are unsavoury," the Guardian spoke softly, trying to ease the already tense situation. "But if this knowledge were released it would plunge our race into a second dark age," the Guardian pleaded. "You must listen to reason."

Zachary stared at the Guardian incredulously. "Unsavoury! The Order has caused the deaths of millions, and you reduce their actions to a single word!"

"Zachary, please don't do this! If you continue I won't be able protect you any longer."

"It doesn't matter anymore," Zachary sneered. "I have the truth." He raised his bag as if to emphasise this point.

"And what will that get you? No matter how much proof you have, no one will believe you."

"The truth is all that matters!"

"Which truth? The truth that your short sighted obsession is hurting the people around you? Or perhaps the truth that our people are dieing race? The unity the Order has maintained is the only thing holding our people from the brink."

"Unity at what cost? The price which your Order demands is too great!"

They both stood there in the silence looking each other in the eye, neither willing to back down from their belief that they were right.

"I'm going now, dear brother," Zachary spat the words as if they were poison. "Don't attempt to follow me."

"Zachary!" the Guardian lunged forward grabbing the other echidna by the arm.

Zachary spun, there was a flash followed by an ear-splitting crack. The Guardian slumped to the floor, a smoking hole in his chest.

Zachary stood there in a stunned silence. When the gravity of the situation finally caught up to him; it was like a punch to the gut. Trembling, he dropped the gun that suddenly felt as if it weighed a ton. He turned and ran from the vault, ran as fast as his feet could carry him.


	5. Chapter 4

**Four**

Robotnik stood at the foot of the observation window in his private chambers, intently watching the planet slowly spinning bellow.

He heard the hiss of the doors parting behind him, and the light clack of approaching footsteps on the metal deck. He didn't bother turning to investigate this disturber of the silence, he already knew who it was.

"Yes, Snively?"

And true to his prediction; "W-well, sir," stammered the diminutive man. "I've brought you the latest reports you requested."

"Give me the summary," Robotnik said nonchalantly, continuing to gaze from the window.

Snively gulped as he began to read from a clipboard clutched in quivering hands. "The _Reaper_ has begun to occupy the largest of the hedgehogs' cities. Our forces are preparing to advance on nearby settlements. Nearly the entire northern hemisphere has fallen to the invasion, but…" Snively paused and Robotnik could audibly hear him shaking. "The invasion in the southern hemisphere has all but ground to a halt. The echidnas' have a strange shielding technology that is protecting their major cities; we have already lost three destroyers against them." Cringing, Snively tried to hide as much of himself behind his little clipboard as he could, waiting in fear for a response from Robotnik.

He decided to leave Snively to stew in silence, for several long seconds before beginning: "Very well, Snively. Please inform General Granite that I wish to speak with him."

"At once, my Lord."

Robotnik could hear the relief in the cowardly man's voice as he quickly disappeared from the chamber.

Fifteen minutes passed and Robotnik's silence was broken once again. This time by someone with an extremely regimental clack, that of a professional soldier.

"Milord."

"I hear you're having trouble with the natives." Robotnik said, he turned to see the general standing at attention, as usual, at the foot of his desk.

There was a long pause. "…Yes, Milord." Granite's head fell in disgrace. "The echidnas' have an energy barrier that surrounds their cities. We are having problems penetrating them, Milord."

Robotnik stepped away from the window, down the steps and around his desk. He stopped inches from Granite's face, he held the general in gaze that could shatter steel.

"I want results not excuses." Robotnik saw his chance, he circled back around the desk before taking his seat at it. "What are you going to do about it?" Robotnik's eyes narrowed, he'd had an idea that could potentially kill two birds with a single stone.

"I'm afraid I don't know, Milord. I've used everything I could think of, nothing can penetrate those shields, and we don't know how long the echidnas can maintain them."

"Not everything," Robotnik said with a smile. "Take the _Autumn Rain _to reinforce the southern offensive. A low-level bombardment from her main cannons should be enough to get past their shields."

"Milord!?" Robotnik almost laughed at the general's look of shock. "Why not have the _Autumn Rain_ simply bombard the cities from orbit?"

Robotnik wasn't surprised by Granite's expression, a ship the size of the _Autumn Rain_ had little manoeuvrability in an atmosphere, it also made a very big and very tempting target; they were literally a sitting duck. But an immensely powerful sitting duck, and if commanded by an experienced captain they could level whole continents.

"As you are aware lasers dissipate faster in an atmosphere. So an orbital barrage would have little effect," Robotnik spoke in a clear and simplistic manor, as if addressing a particularly stupid child. "Now," his demeanour suddenly changing, "I want their cities levelled. I want the blasted echidnas drowned in their own blood!" the level of Robotnik's voice rose with each syllable. "Now go!"

"At once, Milord." Granite gave a quick bow, before turning sharply and hurriedly marching off.

Robotnik leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smile on his face. If everything went to plan most, if not all, of the echidna cities should be levelled, and the _Autumn Rain_ would be destroyed, or rendered so badly damaged in the process as to leave scuttling her the only option.

Several minutes passed in silence before Robotnik opened one of the desks drawers, he removed the data crystal from its box. Also from the box, he removed a small handheld computer.

It taken Robotnik some time, and a considerable amount of his personal wealth, to track this little piece of technology down, a computer considerably more advanced even than this ship itself. It was a stroke of luck really that he had managed to find it at all, so little from those long forgotten times still survive today, and even less in working order.

Robotnik slipped the data crystal into its reader on the computer and almost immediately its contents spilled across the little machine's screen. Documents and schematics thousands of years old; the coordinates of the system that contained Mobius, notes on the local echidna and hedgehog tribes, and most important of all, the research that was being conducted there.

There was another file concerning a 'project testament' though it was encrypted far beyond the ability of Robotnik's decryption programs to decipher, so he didn't dwell on it.

Only one little problem still stood in Robotnik's way. The tiny detail that none of the files mentioned the actual location of the research facility.

Therefore, he would have to search the entire planet, and that would take time. A considerable amount of time, and keeping dear Warlord Julian appeased during that time would be a difficult task indeed. Robotnik sighed and leaned back in his chair again, he would just have to find a way.

- - - -

Sir Charles, a general in the service of His Majesty the King's armed forces, sat, powerless to do anything except listen to dying.

He was in the radio control room at the old Green Hill base one of the bases in Mercia's missile defence network, a little over ten miles north of Knothole, that he'd spent the last two weeks shutting down.

Charles had vainly attempted to rally whatever remained of the Mercian military into an effective defence, so that they might at least stand a chance of weathering this attack.

The aliens had come out of nowhere; none of the national observatories had reported anything unusual the night before. They attacked violently and without mercy and with the precision of carving a turkey with a hammer.

After a while the voices that echoed, screeched and gurgled from the radios began to bleed into one another, until it was impossible to tell one from another. And then, one by one the grand cacophony grew quieter and quieter, until all but a few distant voices remained.

The whine of the radios washed over the old hedgehog. He was just about to give up all hope, when from amongst the screams and pleas of the desperate and dieing, he heard a familiar voice.

Charles stood up and moving quickly to the radio that belched the familiar noise, he literally shoved its operator from his chair.

"The royal guard have fallen back. The west wing is completely overrun," the speaker paused briefly. Muffled orders and screams could be heard over the raging battle, amongst the hissing static. "No matter how many we kill they just keep coming," desperation filled his voice. "The king is dead, and the queen and prince are missing. Princess Sally is with us, but we're holed-up in the east wing. I don't know how much longer we can holdout."

"Hold on, general, we'll get you out," Charles spoke into the microphone.

"Charles! Is that you, Charles?" Surprise momentarily overshadowed the speaker's desperation.

"Yes, it's me, old friend."

"Thank the gods, listen I don't know how long we can hold out, Charles. Whatever you're going to do, I suggest you do it quickly."

"Don't worry, old friend, I'll get you out," Charles said this with as much certainty in his voice as he could muster.

He turned to the officer that stood silently behind him, a burly green hedgehog. "Cable, is there anyone close enough to help them?" He already knew the answer but asked anyway.

"No, general. Since the invaders began assaulting the air-raid shelters, none of our forces that remain in the city are in any shape to provide assistance."

Charles remembered when the reports of the invaders' attacks on shelters started coming through, then when he'd heard about the massacres at the schools, he couldn't help but think about his nephew, Sonic, who was probably dead now. He sighed, "How many are left here?"

"Not many, sir, the last of the troops that were stationed here left a few days ago. All that's left is the decommissioning crew."

That left him with only a dozen or so soldiers and technicians. "Well, that'll just have to do. Prepare the trucks and hand out the remaining weapons. We'll just have to get them out ourselves then."

But before Cable could protest, the radio burst back into life.

"They've broken through!" the general on the radio shouted, "Argus, get the Princess away from here. We'll cover you for as long as possible." He could barely be heard shouting orders over the suddenly intensifying battle, until an earthshaking explosion silenced him. Screams could be heard for a second after before the radio finally fell silent.

"General, can you hear me?" Charles shouted into the microphone, getting no response he tried again. "General D'Coolette are you there? D'Coolette!" He hit the desk in frustration. "Keep trying to regain contact," he ordered the radio's operator as he thrust the headset back into his hands.

Charles turned away and quickly left room. He leaned up against the corridor wall and took a deep breath, before exhaling slowly. The stress was getting to him.

He'd known the man for forty years, they'd fort side by side during the Great War, and now like so many others today, he was dead. Charles wondered about D'Coolette's son, Antoine. He was a captain in the Wakefield Guard and had a promising career ahead of him, though he wandered whether he was even still alive now.

Cable quickly approached him. "Sir, a group of invaders have been spotted nearby. They appear lightly armed; I believe they are scouts, sir."

"Ok, there's not much left that we can do here anyway. The country has all but fallen apart." Charles sighed. "Let's pack up and get out of here before they bring friends along." he'd had more than his share of death today.

- - - -

"Squad 15 has retaken sector 31."

"Squad 8 is pinned down in sector 42, they're requesting reinforcements."

"Roger, robot unit 3 is on the way."

Remington had to concentrate to block out the hubbub of the city's command centre as he was trying to hear the technician on his computer screen speak. "The energy relay is operational, commander," the technician said. "All we need now is the power diverted."

"Okay, I'll make sure you get it," he said then he pressed a button causing the technician's face disappeared. The reddish-brown echidna stood and briskly walked to the other end of the bustling centre. Remington was the commander of Grand-Metropolis' militia forces, he had come from a long line of militia officers, but he was the fist to attain the rank of commander.

"I want a secure channel to the emerald shrine," he said to one of the many officers.

"Yes sir." The officer's fingers danced across his keyboard. "The channel to the emerald shrine is now open."

"Put it on my screen," Remington said as he returned to his seat. He was surprised as Knuckles' face appeared on his screen

"Commander Remington, sir," the young echidna said as he saluted.

"Knuckles, where's the Guardian?" the commander asked.

"He's away at the moment, attending to an important matter, sir."

"When will he be back?"

"I don't know, commander, but I'm sure he won't be long," Knuckles said, before, with an amount uncertainty adding, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Remington paused for a moment to consider whether this apprentice could help him at all. "Yes, I need you to divert power to these coordinates." He typed them into his console, and in a matter of seconds the numbers popped up on Knuckles' screen.

"Yes, sir." The red echidna disappeared off screen.

"Sir, we can't get through to Necronopolis, it's like it's not there."

"What do you mean it's not there?" Remington asked incredulously, turning to face the growing din.

"Scouts from Westopolis have just confirmed it; the city has been destroyed, completely levelled. No survivors."

Someone else in the centre chimed in, "The other five cities have report that they are in the same situation. The aliens have begun pulling out and are levelling their cities."

"Have any of them been able to launch their mobile-battleships?" Remington had to shout to make himself heard.

Construction on the last of the battleships, had only just been completed weeks before, they hadn't even been tested properly yet. The battleships were intended for a future war with the hedgehog kingdom of Mercia, one which until hours ago had seemed inevitable, now it appeared that their very survival hinged on them being a success.

"Yes, Echidnaopolis has launched the _Kaskara_, Megaopolis is preparing the _Shotel _and Gigaopolis is just launching the _koummya_."

"Good, how much longer will it take to finish the preparations for the _Flyssa_?"

"The ground crew say that they're nearly ready, they are just waiting for the energy relay to come online, sir."

"Ah, Knuckles," Remington said, as he noticed that the young echidna had returned. "Are you done?"

"Yes, sir. The power has been diverted to the location you requested."

"Thank you." The Commander nodded and the screen winked off.

"Sir, the _Flyssa_ is now launching and the energy relay is coming online."

Remington turned to see the centre's main view screen. The image changed form a devastated cityscape to focus on a small, seemingly rundown, warehouse. It shook as its roof began to split and then part, allowing a u shaped ship to exit. It hovered above the warehouse-hanger and unleashed fiery death upon the tiny, pitiful alien fighters.

As the last fighter exploded into a bright orange fireball, cheering arose throughout the command centre. The only one who didn't join the sudden celebration was Remington. He sat there, watching the wreckage plummet into the city and realised that this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

- - - -

His heart pounded in his chest as Zachary ran through the streets of the scarred and battle-ridden city. He avoided the pitched battles as best he could, and eventually made it safely back to what remained of his home. As soon as the door had closed behind him he locked it and collapsed onto the floor.

His breathing was heavy and ragged as he stared up at the featureless ceiling; his head reeling from the nights events. He had gotten what he'd most desired for over a decade, but the cost was high, he'd killed his brother; more than that a Guardian. The Order would never let him get away with that. Zachary burst out laughing at the irony of it all. He now had a way to expose the Order's lies, but in so doing he had only added more fuel to their fire, which he knew now burned uncontrollably.

Before, they couldn't do much more than threaten him for fear of creating another martyr, the Menniker incident still rang fresh in their ears. But now they'd have all the reason they would need to brand him a traitor and heretic, anything he might say in his defence would fall on deaf ears. Assuming he'd live long enough to say anything at all.

He knew there was only one thing left he could do, run. Packing quickly, he slung anything he might need in his escape into his bag. He removed a fake panel on the wall to reveal a shallow crevice. Zachary retrieved the only thing he had managed to save from the Order's ransacking, a small computer.

The screen flickered on and he selected the only non-corrupted file that it held. He had to see it again, to make sure he had made the right choice. A creature that vaguely resembled a - mostly - hairless ape appeared. "This is the journal of Marcus Green," it said, "8th of August. We've been out of contact with the Earth and any Dominion holdings for nearly a month now, I'm worried.

"A week and a half ago we sent our only long range ship to the nearest system to find out what's happening. We've not heard from them since, and it's only a three day journey there and back," the hairless ape sighed. "We've tried to concentrate on our research, but I don't know how long it can keep us distracted. Project Testament is nearing completion though; perhaps she can offer us a glimmer of hope... "

Another hairless ape appeared on the small screen disturbing Marcus, as he approached Zachary could see that he was panicked by something. "Sir, long range sensors have detected incoming ships," he whispered in Marcus' ear. "A lot of them."

"Ok, I'll be right there." Marcus leaned towards the screen, and suddenly it went blank. There was something familiar about those creatures, Zachary thought, he'd seen them somewhere and recently.

The colour drained from Zachary's face and his hands were shaking, as he suddenly realised where he'd seen them. He dropped the computer. "I-Its them," he said in a gasping whisper,not really believing it himself. "They're the ancients!?" He could not believing what he was saying.

The surprise passed, and upon fetching the machine to replaying the file again to make sure he wasn't mistaken a smile slowly crossed his face. "The truth is all that matters." Grabbing his bag and with a new sense of direction he turned and fled into the darkness of the night.

- - - -

The bridge shuddered as the mobile-battleship _Kaskara_ took another hit, sparks flew and consoles exploded.

"Captain, the aliens are overwhelming our forces at the emerald shrine," announced an officer.

"Move the _Kaskara_ in to support them. We cannot allow the city-shield to fall."

In a last ditch attempt to escape from the city, the last of the invaders had regrouped and now lay siege to the emerald shrine. A group of fifteen echidna soldiers and a handful of robots held the desperate aliens at bay, but they couldn't holdout for much longer.

The echidna ship glided down closer to the emerald shrine and began firing into the mass of alien soldiers that surrounded it, killing dozens at a time. At the sudden arrival of the _Kaskara,_ the aliens' fragile moral shattered. They turned and fled back into the city, hiding in any nook or cranny they could find.

"It doesn't really matter where they hide," the captain thought with some satisfaction, "they would all be hunted down in due time."

"Captain, another alien warship is heading towards the city."

The alarm in the young officer's voice almost amused him. "Don't worry; they can't get in while the shield is up," he said with a reassuring smile.

The alien ship that slowly approached the city was huge, easily twice as large as the one they'd fended off earlier. It fired a volley of lasers, they impacted the shield hard. It flared bright red for a few seconds, but it held.

"See, they can't penetrate the shield. They'll grow tired after a while and leave, just like with the other cities."

But they didn't, and for the next forty minutes they pummelled the shield with volley after volley of laser fire. The aliens' turrets were far stronger than the other ships, and under the incessant barrage the shield finally gave, buckling under the pressure. The protective orange curtain that surrounded the city faded out of existence.

"Captain! The alien vessel has penetrated the shield!"

He turned from the veiwport and rubbed his face. "Bring us up to face them." He couldn't believe this had actually happened.

The _Kaskara_ turned and began its ascent to face its new opponent, while the alien ship moved further over Echidnaopolis, in order to catch its prey. Bolts of blood red laser splashed across the hull of the smaller ship, rattling its contents and burning massive holes into its hull.

"Hull integrity at twenty-eight percent. We can't take another volley like that."

The captain picked himself up off the deck. "Are we still receiving the energy feed from the emerald shrine?"

"No, sir."

The captain sighed; he only had one option left. Even with the feed it would take them a long time to recharge, time in which they'd be vulnerable. Now it would leave the ship and the city completely defenceless, but it was the only way.

"Charge the beam cannon," he ordered. "Fire at will."

The _Kaskara's_ retaliation scorched the hull of the alien vessel, barely causing any real damage. But that wasn't all the little ship could manage, light began to coalesce between the prongs of the echidna ship, into a ball of swirling energy. A beam of burning green energy lanced from the sphere of collected light, piecing the belly of the alien ship and gutting it. The beam continued cutting through the ship, like a knife through butter. Until, finally, it exploded and plummeted like a stone into the city bellow.

"How much charge do we have left?" the captain asked.

"Ten percent and falling rapidly, sir."

"Okay, bring her back down to the hanger," the captain sighed. "We'll just have to hope these blasted creatures don't have any more surprises up their sleeves."


	6. Chapter 5

**Five**

Sonic was horrified as he stood in the school's air-raid shelter. The young hedgehog was shaking uncontrollably and he felt like he was going to be sick.

The shelter was awash with blood and bodies. Students and teachers interspersed with the occasional corpse of an invader. He grew pale as the carnage washed over him, he saw friends and rivals, teachers he liked and loathed, all among the dead. How could anybody do this? He thought. Beside him Amy sobbed.

One of the bodies stirred and Sonic saw his history teacher, Mr Stripe, lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

"Sonic!" he gasped through gritted teeth, as he saw the stunned hedgehog. "Thank the gods you're alive."

Sonic rushed to the wounded man's side. "What happened?"

"This shelter, it was designed to protect us from those blasted echidna and their bombs, not from these monsters. They attacked without warning, stormed in all guns blazing. Most of us were killed in the first seconds. I got a few," he waved his handgun to emphasise his statement. "But I was hit, they left me for dead and moved on."

"Do you know what happened to Manic and Sonia?" Sonic blurted, almost unable to make a coherent sentence as fresh waves of dread washed over him, he felt like he was going to drown.

"Who?" The dieing hedgehog's breathing was quickly becoming laborious and he looked to be fading fast. "Oh, those two students you were always with. They got away with a few others."

Sonic breathed a sigh of relief, an immense weight suddenly lifted from his shoulders.

"Oi! You two, stay there!" came a harsh voice ringing down the corridor behind them. Sonic and Amy turned in surprise to see two of the invaders clomping quickly towards them, weapons raised and pointed at them.

"Go. RUN!" Stripe bellowed at the pair. "I'll hold them back."

Sonic turned to Amy, she was frozen like a statue in fear, unable to move. He took her by the hand and pulled her away.

"I said, stay there!" the alien commanded again as he grew closer.

The ground where Sonic and Amy had stood a heartbeat before erupted in plumes of concrete and flame. But neither of them noticed as they were already halfway out the room.

As the pair fled down the corridor there was a loud bang, followed in quick succession by two more. Several moments passed in silence before they were answered by a harsh staccato beat.

Tears began to form in Sonic's eyes. "Thank you," he said quietly.

The pair ran through the long corridors of the school bunker then clanged up lengths of metal stairs, before finally finding themselves out of the shelter and back in the old school above. They couldn't stop to rest as they could still hear the invaders' heavy steps closing behind them.

They ran down another corridor trying to loose the aliens pursuing them, but it was no use and the pair were quickly getting tiered. Sonic looked right and left for someplace for them to hide, but the long corridor was devoid of any real cover, and the aliens were right behind them. As panic rose in Sonic he didn't notice the hands that appeared behind him, wrapping themselves around their mouths, dragging the pair backwards into the shadows of a storeroom.

"If you either of you wish to live, don't make a sound," a voice whispered softly, almost silently, into their ears. But the deadly promise behind it was clearly understood. Sonic gulped and nodded shakily, feeling Amy do the same.

"Hey, over here." Sonic could see one of the alien's shadow in the corridor outside. "I think they went down here."

Sonic could feel his captor tensing, like a snake readying to strike.

"I can't see anything," the second said as his shadow joined the first.

Sonic prayed to any god that would listen, that they wouldn't be found. As the pair's shadows grew something began to make a hissing, crackling noise.

"Squad four, get back here now. We're moving to the next sector," a radio hissed and spat an annoyed voice.

"Yes, sir, we're heading back now."

"But what about them?" asked the second, they were almost standing right outside the doorway.

"They're probably long gone by now." He waved the thought away as if it were simply a troublesome fly, and then said, "We'd better head back, don't wanna make the sergeant any angrier." The two soldiers turned and left, clomping away into the distance.

Sonic breathed a sigh of relief as he was released. He turned to face his rescuer/captor and found a black hedgehog with blood red eyes and red streaks through his quills who looked about his age.

"Thanks for saving us," Sonic said tentatively, unsure whether he was a friend or foe. The black hedgehog ignored them, he left the storeroom began to walk away.

"Hey, aren't you going to say anything?"

He turned on his heal. "Like what?" he sneered.

"W-well, like your name for a start?" Sonic stammered, taken aback by the newcomers coldness.

The black hedgehog seemed to consider this question for a moment before answering, "hmm, call me Shadow."

"I'm Sonic, this is Amy. Pleased to meet you."

"Fine," Shadow said abruptly, before turning to continue on his way.

"Hey, where are you going in such a hurry?"

"Anywhere but here," Shadow answered bluntly.

"Listen we should stick together, it'd probably be safer."

Shadow spun on his heels to face the annoyingly persistent blue hedgehog, eyeing him suspiciously. Self preservation was the highest priority for Shadow and this irritating hedgehog did have a point, travelling in a group had benefits, safety in numbers, but it also had problems, easier to be tracked and caught.

"Fine, if you think you can keep up," he finally said.

"Wait, we can't go yet. We're looking for our friends. Did you see anyone before?"

Great, he knew there'd be complications, but this fast was just ridiculous. "I saw a group heading back into the city a few minutes ago," he grunted, pointing in the vague direction they were heading.

Sonic led the way to where Shadow had indicated, out of the grounds and to the gates of the school.

"How are we supposed to find them now?" Sonic said despair creeping into his voice as he stood at the gate looking up and down ruined streets.

"They went this way," Shadow said coolly as he began down the street.

"Wait, how can you be sure?" Sonic called after the black hedgehog, but Shadow continued ignoring Sonic's question.

Shadow led the pair through the streets, passed fires that raged in the remains of buildings and the odd group of terrified hedgehogs, but they didn't find who they were looking for among them, so their journey continued.

"They're close," Shadow finally said.

Sonic was about to speak when he was cut off by a noise he had become quite familiar to him that night, gunfire echoed through the streets. This time though it was close, only a street or two ahead.

Sonic turned to Amy. "Stay here," he said. "I'll be back in a minute." Then to Shadow he said, "Come on." He turned and continued down the street.

Several of the invaders had cornered a small group of cowering hedgehogs, mostly pupils from Sonic's school and amongst them were Manic and Sonia. They were pinned against a burnt-out bus that blocked off the rest of the street. Laughing, the aliens' were tacking pot-shots at them.

Sonic felt himself bristling with anger as adrenalin banished his fear, he wouldn't let these monsters hurt his friends. His mind reeled as he tried to figure out what he could do.

He spotted a fist sized clump of rubble near him and a second later it was airborne, hitting one of the aliens square in the back of the head and dropping him to the floor. Sonic ran at another and shouldered him in the stomach, winding him and knocking him to the ground next to the fist.

Shadow had also jumped into action and had knocked down another two before Sonic had realised what was happening.

"Hurry, follow me!" Sonic screamed at the cowering hedgehogs. They were more than eager to follow his order.

In the rush to escape from what they had all thought was certain death the hedgehogs scrambled as the aliens staggered back to their feet, and began to shoot wildly at the fleeing hedgehogs' backs.

Sonia fell behind, unable to run because of her injured leg. A scream escaped from he lips as she tripped and tumbled to the floor. "Manic, help!"

"Sonia!" Manic cried as he turned to run to her side. But it was too late, the aliens were already at her.

"We don't have time for this!" Shadow growled as he grabbed Manic, pulling him away from his fallen sister.

Manic struggled futilely against Shadows grip, "No! let go," his desperate cries falling on def ears.

"This way," Sonic shouted, gestured to an alleyway. He didn't notice Manic vainly struggling against Shadow, before disappearing down it himself.

"Let 'em go," one of the aliens panted as he came to a halt and lowered his weapon, he held up his other hand signalling for the other to stop as well. He watched the group of hedgehogs disappearing into the distance. "They won't get far."

"Run!" Sonic yelled at Amy as the rabble quickly approached her, and she joined the stampede. The group ran until they couldn't run any further, finally collapsing in a half destroyed alley.

Each heartbeat felt like an eternity for Sonic as he struggled to reclaim his lost breath. He looked from face to face, some of them he knew only as classmates and others he didn't recognize at all. Something seemed wrong and it took him several moments to realise what this was.

"Manic, where's Sonia?" he asked, looking directly at the green hedgehog, tears streamed down his face. "Where's Sonia?" he asked again, more urgently this time, the feeling of cold dread quickly returning.

- - - -

The fighting had died down by the time dawn had begun to settle on the city, but bigger problems were rising with the morning sun for Remington.

"Are the Order acolytes letting any of your team into the Library yet?" Remington asked one of his lieutenants on a monitor in his office.

"No, sir."

"Did you inform them of Grand-councillor Pochacamac's orders?"

"Yes sir, but they said that it's an Order matter and none of our concern."

"Tell them it happened in my city and that makes it my concern," Remington began to shout, he could feel his temper getting the better of him but he couldn't help it. It was his job to protect the city from enemies without, and within. The Order's interference was also reopening an old wound that was best left untouched.

He closed his eyes and slowly took a deep breath, regaining his composure before continuing. "Tell them that I'll have them arrested for obstructing an official investigation if they don't let you in again."

"Sir!? …," the lieutenant began to protest but was halted by a piercing glare from his commander. "Y-yes, sir." The echidna on the screen saluted nervously before the monitor blinked off.

"How are we supposed to conduct an investigation if we can't even get to scene of the crime?" Remington sighed as he rubbed his face. "A Guardian killed, and during an alien invasion of all times .It just had to happen on my watch," Remington thought wryly.

There was a sudden knock on his door before his secretary popped her head through. "The Guardian is here, sir," she said.

"Good, send him in." Remington just hoped that no one from the Order had gotten to him yet. Remington turned to face Knuckles as he entered, a solemn expression on his face.

"Sir, I can't leave the shrine for long the Guardian will be angry if I'm not there when he gets back," the young echidna began.

"Sit, please, " Remington interjected. Knuckles declined the offer of a seat, he preferred to stand. "Knuckles, I have some bad news," the commander sighed.

"What?"

"The Guardian is dead. Murdered. He was found in the Library earlier this morning."

Knuckles froze, silent in shock. "Wh-what happened?" he finally managed.

"We believe he was killed about six hours ago, an energy blast at close quarters to the chest. He died instantly."

"Who?"

"We don't know, the security cameras in the library had been disabled. But witnesses reported seeing an old man fleeing the scene at about the same time."

Something appeared to dawn on Knuckles as Remington spoke. The colour drained from his face as a look of disbelief replaced his previously dazed expression.

"Listen Knuckles, I need to know of any reason he might have gone there?"

He simply shook his head in stunned silence.

"I know this is a shock for you Knuckles, I know how close you and the Guardian were. The Order will be sending a cleric in the next few days to officially appoint you as the guardian of the Metropolis Chaos emerald. I'm sorry it couldn't of been under happier circumstances."

"Yes, I'd better get back to the shrine," Knuckles said numbly as he turned to leave the office.

"Listen, if there's anything I can do for you, you know where I am."

"Thank you," Knuckles said as the door closed.

"He's hiding something," Remington thought, but what he couldn't be sure. His thoughts were interrupted as his secretary entered the room again.

"Sir, a representative of the High-Guardian is on com-channel one," she said.

"This just gets better and better," the commander groaned.

- - - -

Abandoning what little that remained of the blazing city, of their home, to the alien invaders, the group made their way west as fast as they could through the Great Forest. They had no where to go, no sense of direction, of purpose. Cold and lost and alone, they were just running scared in fear for their lives.

Exhausted, the group finally came to a stop, hastily throwing together a camp. They had spent the last couple of hours walking aimlessly through the pitch black forest, and arguments began erupting over what they should do now.

"I think we should continue heading west to the coast, then on to Rheged. Or maybe east around the inland sea to Soleanna or Afan," someone suggested over the recently made fire, which was little more than a few smouldering sticks that cast meagre light and heat in all directions.

"Yeah, and we could make it easy for them and go south right into the blasted echidnas' hands'," someone else snorted.

"You really still think this is some elaborate echidna plot?" the first retorted. "Those things that attacked us, they were not echidna. I know echidnas, I fought them in the war."

"Hey, hey, calm down," came another person, coming between the first two. "We don't know if those places are any safer anyway."

Sonic sighed; he was just as tired with running from the murderous aliens as everyone else. But he was also quickly growing tired of the group's infighting. They had survived the city, barely, but now it looked like they'd have to survive each other too.

"I'll be back in a minute," he said to Amy as he stood. He needed to walk and clear his head.

"Okay," she intoned, the firelight reflecting in her hollow eyes.

He paced away from the makeshift camp and saw Manic sitting against a tree further along the road they'd been following, and decided to go and see how he was holding up. "Are you ok?"

"What do you think?" Manic snapped, he stared cold and hard at the approaching hedgehog, then suddenly looked away uncomfortably. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't take it out on you." Manic glared at Shadow in the distance before releasing a long sigh. He stood and looked ahead at the darkened road. "It's just that she was crying out for help and I couldn't do anything. My own sister's dead 'cause I'm too useless to do anything!"

"There wasn't anything you could have done, those monsters were practically on top of us." Sonic put his hand on his friends shoulder trying to comfort him. "It wasn't your fault."

"Don't lecture me, Sonic!" Manic turned on his friend. "You're the one who lead Shadow there. If it wasn't for you I could have saved her, or at least died with her."

Sonic was dumbstruck reeling from the blows, he just stood there as Manic glared at him, like a rabbit caught in a cars headlights.

Manic turned and was about flee further into the comforting darkness when shouting erupted behind them, shattering the sudden silence. Sonic turned to see Amy running towards him.

"Someone's coming," she shouted at the pair, panic clear in her voice.

"Into the trees, quick!" someone else yelled, and everyone scattered into the cover of the forest.

Long shafts of light cut through the darkness of the world, followed by a growing rumble. In the distance, coming from the city, Sonic could see a small convoy of variously shaped vehicles. In an open top jeep, he could see several shapes, slowly becoming clearer as the convoy closed the distance between them. Two trucks had driven past before the figures became clear enough for Sonic to recognise one. He leaped out in front of the Jeep waving his arms.

"Uncle Chuck!" he shouted and the jeep screeched to a halt. Stopping a hairs breadth away from him, with more trucks slamming on their breaks behind it.

"Sonic?" an old sky blue hedgehog with a thick grey moustache said in disbelief as he leaped from the jeep "Sonic! Thank the gods your still alive." Sonic rushed up to Charles and hugged him as the others slowly left the forest. "I thought for sure that none of you had made it." Charles looked around at the growing group. "Is your mother here?"

Sonic pulled away, his gaze dropping to the floor." No, I don't know where she is," he muttered the ground.

"I'm sure she's okay," Charles said, trying to reassure his young nephew.

"Yeah," Sonic agreed half-heartedly.

Charles looked round at the gathering group of survivors before returning to his jeep. "Cable, I need you to make some room for these people on the trucks."

"Yes, sir." Cable quickly move away and began rounding the survivors onto a truck.

"Sonic, you'd better get onto one of the trucks too," Charles said as he turned back to his nephew.

"Sure uncle," the dejected hedgehog replied.

Charles watched as Sonic found Manic and Amy and then a black hedgehog with red streaks through his fur. "Oh my…!" the general gasped, surprise and fear suddenly coursing through him as he watched Sonic talking to the black and red hedgehog.

"General, it looks like someone else had the same idea, I've got a link to the old base," said the radio operator.

"Err…good, good." Charles said momentarily distracted. The old hedgehog gave Shadow a long cold piecing stare as he followed Sonic onto one of the trucks. As he got back into the jeep, Charles leant over to Cable and quietly said into the larger hedgehog's ear, "I want an eye kept on that one."

- - - -

Knuckles didn't know why the Guardian was murdered last night, but he was going to find out. He now found himself at the foot of the steps leading up to the city's library. Memories from the night before constantly replaying through his mind.

As he entered the lobby of the old building he saw several city militia officers arguing with a small group of Order acolytes.

"Where is the keeper of this library!" Knuckles demanded as he approached the bickering group.

A sudden and awkward silence hung in the air for several moments before one of the acolytes gathered enough courage to stutter, "I-I'll go get him right away, Guardian." He returned shortly with a white furred echidna in tow.

"I am Finitevus, keeper of this library," the echidna said with a bow.

"I want to see the security footage from last night."

"I'm afraid the cameras were disabled, Guardian."

"I want to see the footage from last night!" Knuckles repeated in a more serious tone. He knew that what the keeper had said about the cameras being disabled was rubbish, the Order always had backups.

Seeing that the young guardian wouldn't be deterred from his goal the keeper relented. "Of course, Guardian," Finitevus said in an oily voice. "Right this way." Knuckles was led through extravagantly decorated hallways to a small room deep within the library.

Finitevus unlocked the room with his ring before ushering Knuckles inside. The room was small and filled with monitors displaying scenes from all over the ancient library. Finitevus took a seat at one and quickly brought up the recordings from the night before.

Just as he thought, Knuckles recognised the echidna that had appeared on the screen. It was the old echidna he'd knocked over last night.

The monitor showed an old echidna slinking through the shadows, they followed him through the library from camera to camera until he disappeared from their vision. Finitevus said that the old echidna moved out from the coverage of the library's cameras before the timestamp jumped ahead two hours followed the old echidna escape, as he fled back through the deserted corridors.

"Is this it?" Knuckles demanded.

"I'm afraid so, Guardian," Finitevus smiled up at Knuckles. "The budget allocated to us by the Order is small, but we make do with what we have."

"Thank you for your help." Knuckles said through gritted teeth before following him out of the small room. "I'll show myself out."

"As you wish Guardian." And with a bow that Finitevus left.

Knuckles began to head back to lobby, but after a few steps he turned to see if the keeper was still there.

After making sure he wasn't Knuckles rushed back to the security room's door and used the Guardian's ring, Knuckles had taken it from the morgue before he left the city militia's headquarters.

The old gold ring bore the image of an emerald circled by seven stars, the seal of the Order. On a tiny computer chip embedded in the ring it contained the codes to open most Order locks. He prayed to the goddess that it would work, and was beginning to think it hadn't before the door finally clicked as it unlocked.

Without the Keeper's eye over him, Knuckles could now access the computer's records freely. He found the recordings quickly enough and began playing though them. It took a little while to find what he was looking for, but eventually he did.

The old echidna was back on the monitor, but he was in a part of the library that Knuckles didn't recognise. He was searching through documents on dozens of shelves. After some time the Guardian appeared and seemed to anger the old echidna. Knuckles wished he could hear what was being said. The old echidna turned and began to walk away before the Guardian lunged at him grabbing him by the arm, there was a flash and the Guardian was on the floor and the old echidna fled.

Knuckles could feel tears stinging his eyes, but he knew he had to keep his cool otherwise the Guardian's killer would get away.

He searched through the records of the city's citizens, he found who he was looking for, the old echidna; Zachary. But when he opened the file he found it blank, it had been sealed by the Order.

"Why?" He couldn't understand why the Order would seal the file. He had hit a wall and know how to proceed, there was only one person he could turn to.

"Knuckles, what's wrong?" Remington asked as his image appeared on the monitor. The Commander spoke far more informally to Knuckles than was appropriate, but he didn't mind. Remington was the only one who had accepted Knuckles for who he was rather than what he was.

"I know who did it," Knuckles told Remington. He could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks, he sent the data to the commander's computer.

The Remington's eyes widened. "Knuckles, don't do anything rash. I'm sending over some of my men over to you now." But it was too late, Knuckles had gone. Rage and guilt boiling deep inside him. He had to find him, find the old echidna that he let get away.

- - - -

Robotnik was looking over the most recent scans of Mobius when Snively timidly entered. The small man's echoing footsteps were painfully loud in the silence. Without tearing his eye's from the screen he said, "why are you disturbing me, Snively?"

Snively could here the anger in Robotnik's voice rise with each syllable. He must be still brooding over the destruction of the _Autumn Rain_, the diminutive man thought. "Y-you said you wanted to be informed if we found anything unusual," Snively held out a small computer-like device.

Robotnik took the device casting a disinterested eye over it, before they suddenly widened. "Were did you get this?" he demanded.

"It was found amongst the possessions of an echidna picked up in the withdrawal from the south."

"Where is this echidna?"

Snively stood aside, motioning to someone outside the chamber. Two soldiers entered holding between them an old white echidna.

Zachary pulled himself free of his escort, looking back at them rather distastefully before taking a step forward, towards their apparent leader. He stared unblinking at the large creature behind the desk. "We have a lot to talk about, you and I."

- - - -

"Director, I've got a General Charles, on the radio. He's requesting permission to take shelter at the base. He says that he's got refugees from the city."

An old ash grey hedgehog looked up from his desk at the young woman who had disturbed him. "Charles, huh?" the old hedgehog stroked his chin. "Allow them entrance, we don't want to draw any undue suspicion to us." He stood, smoothing a crease from his suit. "Do we know the status of the convoys yet?"

"No, sir, we lost contact with the last one over two hours ago. In all honesty, sir, it doesn't look likely that any of the prototypes have survived the evacuation."

The Director sighed, "how many of the staff have survived?"

"Less than twenty have arrived here, sir."

"Okay, dismissed."

"Yes, sir." She saluted and left the office.

"Then all is lost," the old hedgehog muttered to himself as he paced slowly to the window. "We can't hope to defeat the… whatever they are, without the prototypes."

The window overlooked the entrance of the compound and he saw Charles' arrival. The gates parted letting through a convoy that was comprised of a handful of jeeps and trucks. As the survivors disembarked the vehicles one of them caught his eye.

"By the gods!" he gasped, not believing what he had just seen. Salvation delivered on a silver platter. He suddenly turned and walked to the doorway of his office. "Topaz," he called his assistant. "Bring the general here," a sly smile growing on his face. "I think I'd like a chance to catch up with my old friend."

- - - -

Zachary lay on an uncomfortably hard bed looking up at the rusty, dull grey metallic ceiling of the room he had been so 'generously' given. Unable to leave, he was musing over the meeting he'd had with Robotnik, the human in charge of this barbaric rabble.

Something didn't quite fit, these humans with all their crude ships and weapons and technology, they didn't match the descriptions of the godlike race he had read of in the scrolls, though Zachary was certain they were indeed the same creatures.

And then there were the Chaos emeralds, now that was a different story altogether. The more Zachary thought about them, the more they seemed not fit with either these humans or the ones described in the scrolls.

"How many more secrets have the Order been hiding for all these years?" the aged echidna thought bitterly.

He sighed and rolled over. Vowing that, someday, he would have his answers. One way or another he would have his answers.

- - - -

Charles breathed a sigh of relief as the gates closed again. His eyes flickering over the handful of survivors assembling in the shadow of the old base, all forty of them.

"Excuse me, general?"

Charles whirled on the spot and saw a young woman approach. The one he'd spoken to on the radio, he presumed. "Yes."

She had black fur with yellow streaks through her quills and sky blue eyes. He noticed that the ID card she wore bore the sword and shield emblem of the Guardians of the United Nation.

"GUN, what are they doing here?" Charles wondered, in his experience wherever they went trouble was usually close behind.

GUN was paramilitary organisation established nearly two hundred and fifty years ago. After the Mercian civil war, when a part of the country broke away with an exiled princess and formed the country of Soleanna. GUN's mandate was to make sure nothing like that ever happened again.

"Could you follow me please, sir." Not waiting for a response she turned and walked back towards the building.

"I'll be back in a minute," Charles said to Cable quickly, before following the woman.

As he was escorted through the corridors of the abandoned base, he began to notice that there was an awful lot of equipment, and it was all exceptionally clean. Slowly he came to the conclusion that this base wasn't as abandoned as he'd once thought.

"So this is what the Ministry of War was up to," Charles thought, the military was being punished for that night ten years ago. Charles shook his head clearing the regret and guilt that was beginning to resurface, he had to stay in the present he had concentrate on the lives that now were his responsibility.

She led him through an ante-room and finally into the office of a man Charles had never expected to see again.

"You!" Charles growled, a sudden rage taking hold of him.

"Now is that any way to greet an old friend?" The Director simply smiled.

"You murdered my men!"

"You and your men were well aware of what the risks of the experiment were."

"You lied to us."

"'Lied' is such a strong word. It was need to know, and you didn't need to know." The Director's brow furrowed in annoyance. "Why rake up the past when the future is so uncertain? You have something I want, something that could turn the balance against these creatures."

Charles' eyes narrowed in suspicion. "So it is one of them, isn't it?"

"Perceptive as usual I see." His face darkened. "It is indeed one of the prototypes, perhaps even the last."

"Why don't you just take it?"

"Because It has been contaminated and we can't use it. But with a sample of its blood we could restart the project. And whilst it's active we can monitor its behaviour for any unexpected developments. So we can work them out of the final version."

"What do you want from me?"

"Oh, it's quite simple really," the Director said, regaining his smile.

- - - -

"Hey, I think this one's still alive," called one of the alien soldiers bent over the still form of a young purple hedgehog. He prodded her with the muzzle of his rifle and she stirred.

"Right, then chuck it in the wagon with the others," another called from behind.

"Yes, sir."

Sonia was dimly aware of being lifted and flung over someone's shoulder. Slowly her heavy eyelids opened, all she could see was a pair of walking legs and the floor. What's going on? She was confused and fear began to pulse through her veins at every jerking motion, a moment later she found herself flung into the back of a truck.

She found herself in a compartment that was packed to bursting point with dozens of hedgehogs that the aliens had captured. The young and the old filled the vehicle, those unlucky enough to be taken prisoner by the invaders.

"Get back, give her some room," a chestnut coloured girl not much older than her moved through the mass of prisoners towards the newcomer. "Are you okay?" she asked as she squatted in front of her.

"I think so," Sonia said, her ankle still throbbed but it was getting easier.

"My name's Alicia," she said with a smile.

"I'm Sonia."

There was a sudden clattering and scraping of metal and they were plunged into darkness as the doors of the truck were closed. There came two sharp knocks on the side of the vehicle. "Okay, you're good to go," a muffled voice called from the outside and the engine burst into life sending shivers throughout the vehicle.

"Nice to meet you Sonia," Alicia said quietly in Sonia's ear. "And don't worry, you'll be alright. I promise," the girl oozed so much confidence that Sonia couldn't help but trust her.

- - - -

After spending hours unsuccessfully searching throughout the city for the old echidna, Knuckles had begun to calm and his thoughts drifted to another.

He now found himself standing in the entrance lobby of one of the many shelters of Grand-Metropolis, searching through the hundreds of survivors that had taken refuge there, until he finally found the one he was looking for.

A girl several years younger than him was bent over a middle-aged echidna redressing a bandage on his shoulder. "Is that any better?" She smiled soothingly.

"Much, thank you," he said gratefully before limping off to join what Knuckles presumed to be his family.

Knuckles watched as she helped change another wounded echidna's bandaging, then make a splint for a child's broken arm.

After a while a man in a white coat holding a clipboard appeared. "That's the last of them," he said after briefly checking the clipboard. "Thanks for all your help today."

She smiled. "No problem."

The girl turned and noticed for the first time Knuckles standing there. She stared at him, tears suddenly filling her eyes, and Knuckles could feel the same happening to himself. She burst into speed and flung her arms around Knuckles and he held her in return.

"I love you, big brother," she whispered and all the their lost years were forgotten.

"I'm sorry," was all he could say, between sobs. "I'm so sorry."

- - - -

"The echidna is preparing to lead a team to the location of the facility," Grimer said as he approached Robotnik, coming to a stop by the side of his master.

"Excellent." Robotnik stood at the foot of his chamber's window. A wicked smile twisted his features as he watched the planet below.

With the arrival of that echidna and what he had brought with him, he finally had a realistic chance of finding it. The key to unlocking his destiny. With the gifts the ancient humans had left behind here so many thousands of years ago he could reunite the petty, bickering warlords under his banner and forge a second Terran Dominion. He could reclaim humanities rightful place in the galaxy and he would be revered as a god in doing so.

"Your plans are proceeding well, master."

"Yes," concurred Robotnik, his smile growing broader. "Yes, they are."

- - - -

A robed and hooded figure watched the burnt out shell of the once grand city of Knothole from afar, as the sun began its daylong journey through the sky once more.

"Indeed, everything is going to plan, soon you will see. Soon I shall put everything right. Back to the way it should be," its rasping voice croaked. The figure turned and began to walk away from the smoking ruins. "Soon," its promise echoing in the still morning air.

* * *

A/N: This is the last chapter of Part One, next up Part Two: Rise of the Robots.

See you in the New Year - Rau.


	7. Chapter 6

**Part Two:**

**Rise of the Robots**

**Six**

Talbon sat hunched over the small desk in his cramped and dimly lit cabin. He was busy working on the structural plans for the job he was about to spend the next six months of his life on.

Three months ago his guild on Kitsune were contracted to construct a command and control centre for a warlord on some backwater world called Mobius. None of the higher ranking guildsmen had wanted such a low profile job, so it was pushed further and further down the ladder until it finally came to the last rung and falling on Talbon's lap.

"Why do I always end up with these blasted jobs?" Talbon sighed as he took a gulp of lukewarm tea. He and his team had only just gotten home from another contract before being sent straight back out on this one. Talbon sighed he hated working for these terran savages, but working for them kept the savages away from his homeworld. Like the terrans hadn't left their mark anyway, he thought to himself bitterly.

Distracted from his work by the protestations of his aching body, he began to massage his white furred muzzle before turning his attention to his bushy, tawny coloured tail, working out the tension that had built up in his muscles after sitting still for so long.

The middle-aged fox was shattered but he had to get the revisions done before they arrived. Mobius was a fairly ordinary planet, from what Talbon had read of it, but the base's plans still needed to be fine-tuned for conditions and purpose. And as the head architect of the team, the fine-tuning was left up to him.

A sharp knock at the cabin door woke him from his stupor.

"Enter," Talbon called.

Another fox entered the small cabin, his fur was a coppery colour and he was slightly taller than Talbon. The newcomer was carrying a dented and dull silver tray bearing a bowl of steaming broth. "I thought I'd bring you something to eat, seeing as you weren't at breakfast this morning, boss."

Talbon cast a quick glance at a small ornamental clock that stood to one side on his desk. The delicate hands read 11.42. It was nearly the afternoon, Talbon realised with slight surprise, though that statement held little meaning within the confines of the little ship.

It was only then that he realised just how hungry he was. "Thanks, Jonas."

"No problem. I've worked with you long enough to know that you miss meals far too often for your own good. Y'know some people might begin to wander after all these years of missing meals, whether you just don't like their cooking," Jonas said with a wry smile.

Talbon laughed as he took the bowl. "How is everything today?"

"Fine, but the newbie's starting to drive Vasilis up the wall."

"Why, what's she up to?" Talbon shot Jonas a quizzical look as he took a spoonful of the steaming broth.

"She's getting under his feet and fretting over every little thing."

"She'll learn to calm down eventually," Talbon said and Jonas agreed. "What about the old guy?"

"Doling out advise as usual, the way he goes on you'd think he was Mystic. Er, no offence, boss," Jonas added quickly.

"None taken, I know first hand how irritating Mystics can be." Talbon gave his friend a reassuring smile.

"Well I'd better get back to work," Jonas said, suddenly uneasy. "If I leave Vas alone with the newbie much longer, who knows what might happen." And with that Jonas retreated from the little cabin. Leaving Talbon alone once more.

Talbon's attention turned to a picture frame that stood besides him on the desk. The scruffy discoloured photograph held within was old, but it was the only one he had in which they were all together.

From it stared back a much younger Talbon, one who was still full of the hope and vigour that life had promised. He was smiling happily an arm around his wife Marion, who held their newborn daughter Morain, wrapped in a bundle of blankets. Beside them stood their son, Errol. They were all standing in front of their home on Kitsune. Talbon missed his family and little home back in Shirob city so very much.

Kitsune society was split into two groups, Tech-Smiths and Mystics. While the Tech-Smiths were the scientists and workforce of Kitsune, the Mystics served as its advisors and philosophers.

Before she had retired, Marion used to be an advisor for some of the galaxy's most powerful lords and warlords. In fact that was how they had first met.

Talbon smiled at the memory; 20 years ago she was in the service of Warlord Grann. Talbon had been contracted to design a new warship for him, but Grann was incredibly superstitious and he first wanted a Mystic to bless the designs before he began production.

At first he saw her and her retinue as mere nuisances, that constantly got in the way of his real work. But over the weeks and months that they worked together, they slowly grew closer to each other. They each found a familiar comfort in the other, surrounded by an alien and hostile world. And the rest, as they say, is history.

"Sir, realspace transition initiated. Estimated time until window opening is twelve minutes and thirty eight seconds," the pilot's voice crackled over the intercom.

Talbon suddenly felt so far away from home, from his wife and his children. Kitsune might be a near lifeless desert world, but it was his home. He closed his eyes and for a second he could feel the warm winds blowing gently against his face.

Yawning deeply, he stood and stretched to work the rest of the kinks from his tired body. He'd been up for the best part of 24 hours in order to finish the revisions in time, and that was now running out fast.

"Sir, we're about to make an emergency transition back to realspace," the intercom crackled suddenly.

A heartbeat later the cabin lurched and shook violently, throwing its contents around. The lights flickered as the ship made the leap between dimensions, before everything grew still once more, just as suddenly.

The bowl shattered against the deck, as gravity made its presence felt once more, followed by the steaming broth and finally Talbon.

"By the rings of Kitsune!" Talbon growled as he rubbed his aching head. His cabin was a mess, paper and books were scattered across the floor with broth covering everything. The picture frame lay broken, shards of glass sparkled evilly around it.

He stood and was quickly moving down the central corridor to the cockpit. "What do you think you're playing at? We shouldn't have made the jump for another ten minutes," Talbon barked at the pilot as he entered.

"I apologies, sir. But the window had begun to destabilise," the pilot began nervously. "If we hadn't made the jump then, we could have been crushed if the window collapsed."

Blast these rust buckets! Talbon's hand curled into a fist and futilely pounded against the bulkhead in his frustration. How were they supposed to do anything in these ships that were barely even holding together? The terrans didn't even allow them build new ones, they had to salvage parts from the wrecks that made-up the rings of debris that orbited Kitsune, just to keep the ones they did have from falling apart around them. Not that that was working very well.

"Is that Mobius?" Talbon sighed as he noticed the planet that had appeared dead ahead.

"Yes, sir," the pilot answered.

Talbon studied the rapidly growing planet that hung in the void, it was just like a hundred other worlds he'd seen, but this planet was literally in the middle of nowhere, about as far from the core worlds as one could get. It lay on the edge of the galaxy, about eighty light-years off the Cygnus-Norma spiral arm. Though the fleet of more than a dozen terran warships marked this one out as special.

"What's with all the warships?" asked a young vixen as she came up next to Talbon.

"I haven't a clue," he replied bluntly. He didn't know what held the terrans' interest in this backwater planet and neither did he care, it wasn't his job to know. "Are the others ready yet?"

"Yes, sir," she answered enthusiastically. Her youthful eagerness reminding Talbon of his daughter.

The old fox turned to face her properly, and looked the young girl over. She looked so innocent, so unprepared for what she was about to see, to do. She had petitioned for a place on his crew just before they had left and had only gotten the place as a favour to her farther, an old friend of Talbon's. "This is your first contract isn't it, Fiona?"

The question caught her unprepared. "Um, yes sir. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason." Talbon sighed remembering what his first one was like. He turned back to the stars and continued to study the steadily growing world. "No reason at all."

"Sir, we're being hailed by the Fleet Lord's flagship," the pilot said.

"Put them on."

A bald man with a long needle-like nose appeared on a small monitor. "Talbon, Lord Robotnik wishes to speak with you about the details of the contract." He looked away briefly. "Your ship is clear to land in bay 8."

- - - -

The sun beat down unrelentingly on the vast jungle that straddled the equator of Mobius. A natural border that separated the southern badlands from the verdant fields and forests of the north, and for hundreds of years it had also separated echidna from hedgehog.

Deep within the jungle lay a recently established encampment, little more than a dozen large tents filling a scorch marked clearing. The largest tent lay at the centre of the group, with many thick and heavy cables extending from it, snaking their way throughout the clearing.

Inside the large tent Zachary was leaning over a table which held a map of that region of the jungle. "I want your team to move over hear and set up a remote sensor unit," Zachary pointed to a point on the map about a half mile from the camp, "lets see just how big this thing is."

"Yes, sir." The small group of humans he was addressing took their equipment and left the tent.

The aged echidna wiped his brow with a piece of cloth. He was sweating profusely, Zachary simply wasn't used to this kind of heat. In the southern wastes it had always been hot but never this humid. It was unbearable but he didn't have time to complain as just then a man entered the tent.

"Sir, we've found an opening," he said as he approached the old echidna.

"Good, take me to it."

"Yes sir," the man turned back the way he had come and the old echidna followed him through the jungle.

Animals chirped, howled and yapped in amongst the trees and thick foliage all around them, little suspecting of what the jungle hid. Thousands of years ago humans had visited this world whilst echidnan civilization was still in its infancy. They established a presence here and then for some unknown reason left, abandoning Mobius to the mists of time.

The dirt trail changed to broken concrete patches as he was led to a dulled metal wall that had been cleared of the jungles' overgrowth, and to a hole where some doors apparently used to be. Another man handed Zachary a torch as he approached, and the echidna peered in.

The beam of light thrown from the torch pierced the thick darkness held within. The air was stagnant and as he moved further into the darkness he gagged. The chamber was long with a large desk at the far end and numerous doors leading to other rooms. Bones covered the floor of one side of the chamber, against a wall peppered with scorched holes. The old echidna retreated back outside, feeling rather nauseous.

"I'll inform Lord Robotnik at once," Zachary said to one of the humans around the entrance. "Secure the entrance. But do not enter."

It had been three months since the night that Zachary's life had been changed so much. Three months since he had leaned so much about the ancients, these humans. But there were still so many questions unanswered.

Zachary wound his way back down the dirt trail, away from the millennia old ruins. Trying to fit these new pieces to the growing puzzle.

"Get me a comm-link to Lord Robotnik," the old echidna ordered upon entering.

"Yes sir," one of the humans said, barely hiding his contempt.

Zachary found it amusing, that so many of these humans truly believed they were superior to everyone and everything else. And here they were, because of their hierarchical command structure, having to follow his orders to a T. It reminded him of a people not too far from here and it seemed to Zachary that arrogance was a trait far too common, not just amongst the humans.

Robotnik's face appeared on the screen, his usual look of displeasure adorning it.

"We have found an entrance to the outpost, my Lord." Zachary reported.

"Good, I will send down Grimer with some specialist equipment. I want anything you find shipped to my flagship immediately."

"Yes, my Lord."

- - - -

The footfalls of the group of terrans echoed throughout the cavernous landing bay, as they approached the lone fox that stood at the foot of a battered little ship that looked quite out of place in the landing bay.

Landing bay 8 was massive and within it held dozens of smaller ships, fighters and bombers, landers and shuttles.

"Talbon?" the short bald man they had seen on the monitor, asked as he drew near. The fox nodded. "Please follow us." And Talbon was then led away by the group.

Fiona watched from the cockpit as Talbon disappeared into the corridors beyond, feeling more than a little nervous. "What do you think that Robotnik wants?" Fiona asked.

"I don't know," the pilot said as he began to run a post-flight diagnostic, he was determined to find out what caused the realspace window to destabilise. "It is odd. The lords that contract us usually have little to do with us while we work. They only care that it's done quick enough." He disappeared under the ship's main bank of controls. "Look, why don't you go check on the others?"

"Humph," Fiona huffed as she left the cockpit. It might have been her first contract, but she was already sick of being treated like a little cub that was always getting in the way. She made her way slowly down to the storage bay, where Vasilis and Jonas were busily going through the itinerary.

"Come sit here, young 'un," said the last, and oldest, member of the crew. He was sat on a bench watching the other two work as she arrived.

"What's up, old man?" Fiona sat on the bench beside him.

"I'm just resting my weary bones." He smiled.

They sat together in silence for several moments. Before Fiona worked up the courage to ask, "if you don't mind my asking, why are you still here? I mean, shouldn't you be with the guild elders back home?"

"Heh heh heh, I should be shouldn't I?" the old fox chuckled. "And I was, for a time. But I grew restless. I wanted to travel amongst the stars again. So I joined a contract-team. Had to work back up from the bottom. Until I met Talbon, that is." His expression became that of pride. "He was a promising up and coming leader back then, I might add. He was glad for my experience if nothing else," the old man said.

Fiona had never heard this about Talbon before. When she was younger her father would tell her how much he admired him and how good at his job he was. But, Fiona often wondered, if he really was, then why was he still just a contract-team leader?

"What happened to him?"

The old fox just smiled at her sadly. "He made a mistake." Then he changed the subject, "You look down. Anything the matter?"

Deciding that pushing the subject further wouldn't be such a good idea, she returned to her own problems. "I'm sick of being treated like a newborn cub. The boss is the only one who doesn't treat me like one and he's away seeing the Fleet Lord about the contract."

"I'm worried too, considering Fleet Lord Robotnik's reputation. I'm a little surprised you don't recognise the name."

"Robotnik huh?" Now that he mentioned it, she did recognise the name. Her eyes widened as she realised where she had heard the name before. "The butcher of Dridgedel?" she gasped.

"The one and same." He nodded slowly.

"He pounded that planet with asteroids for seven days, until its was little more than dust! He killed more than sixty million people."

"Yes, but it was more complicated than that. The entire region of space was unstable, the Planetary Lords were growing restless and skirmishes between them were common. Robotnik was charged by Warlord Julian to bring order and stability back to the region. When Dridgedel openly rebelled against the Warlords authority, he made an example of them."

"That's horrible."

"That's the way terrans work, my dear. We can't change that, only survive it."

"But that can't be true?" Fiona began to protest, but was interrupted as the doors to the storage bay hissed as they parted.

"Okay," Talbon said as he entered, "everything needs to be packed up. Robotnik is having us take one of his shuttled down to the surface."

"What, why?"

"He says the locals are still active and are targeting air traffic. So for our safety he is having us take an armed transport down," Talbon looked around at the unbelieving faces, "I don't buy it either. But it's not like we have a choice." The terrans liked their secrets and always had something they wanted to hide from each other. "Don't just stand there, we've got a job to do."

- - - -

A scream caught in his throat and Sonic's eyes shot open, he was drenched in a cold sweat. His eyes darted rapidly across the dark room, panic flowing through him like a raging river. After several long moments of shear terror he began to calm. He remembered where he was and realised that it had just been a dream.

"It was just a silly little dream," he chided himself.

But every night for the past three months he had been having that same 'silly little dream'; he found himself trapped in the school's air raid shelter as the invaders stormed in and began to kill everyone around him. Sonic was trying to find his mum, but he was being push and pulled by the screaming crowd as they tried to flee their attackers.

The butt of a rifle sent Sonic sprawling to the floor, as one of the invaders loomed over him. Sonic futilely raised his arms as the sneering creature raised its rifle. He always woke up a heartbeat later.

Sonic looked down at his quivering hands, his breath was shallow and ragged. He clenched his fists tightly, until he could feel his nails digging into the soft flesh of his palms. He screwed his eyes tightly shut and gritted his teeth together before forcing several deep breathes, trying to calm himself.

"Why am I so weak?"

He slunk out of his bunk, careful not to wake anybody else in the room. He shared the small room that had been stuffed with beds, with seven other kids who had also survived the invasion.

As he left the room he noticed that Shadow's bunk was empty, as usual. Sonic didn't know when Shadow woke or what he did, but every morning he was gone long before anyone else stirred.

In the last few months his uncle Charles had taken control of everything here, he'd taken the handful of soldiers that were left and began to train the other survivors in the art of war.

On the other hand, Sonic and the other 'kids' had been relegated to a handful of room in the old base, with next to nothing to keep them occupied.

The young hedgehog escaped from the suffocating confines of the base, since the attack he had become incredibly claustrophobic and couldn't stand being in even large buildings for too long.

The sky was the subdued orange of an autumn dawn and the chill air was cool and refreshing.

With a single deft leap Sonic was in the branches of an almost bare tree. From his vantage point he had a clear view of the entrance of the base.

As Sonic lay there, amongst the last of the chirping and chattering birds, memories from last night began replaying in his mind.

He was in his uncle's office, stood before the old hedgehog's desk. His cheeks turning red with anger.

"Listen, uncle, you have to let us fight as well," Sonic had said firmly.

"I am not going to let children risk their lives in a war, especially in a war with little chance of us winning."

"I'm nearly sixteen, I'm nearly old enough to enlist!" But his protestation fell on deaf ears.

"I don't care, I am not going to let you or your friends throw your lives away! And that's the end of it," Charles turned to Cable. "I want this boy out of my office."

"Come on, son," Cable had said, as he ushered Sonic from the room, closing the door quickly behind him.

Sonic yelled a string expletives at the door. After a moment, and getting no response, he turned and slunk away sullenly.

The young hedgehog was brought sharply back to the present as he saw a group of soldiers returning from a raid on the city.

"Ransacking supermarkets for leftovers is not what I signed up for." Sonic heard one of them complain as they headed towards the base.

Sonic dropped out of the tree and began to casually follow them through the hallways that made-up the building.

"And with all those people trapped in that slave camp that the general won't let us help!"

Sonic had to suppress a growled, his mother must be in one of those camps and uncle Chuck wouldn't even lift a finger and help her.

"It makes me so angry," another said, summing up the emotions Sonic felt rather well.

"But he has a point though, doesn't he? I mean, it is nearly winter and we can barely feed ourselves, let alone anyone else we might rescue."

They came to a reinforced door with an electronic number pad set into the wall next to it. The largest hedgehog in the group punched in a code and opened the weapon store. He took the others guns and disparaged into the room, returning the weapons they had used.

"Right, who's up for some grub?" he said as he closed the door.

"But aren't you supposed to be on guard duty today?"

"So. Who's gonna steal them around here?"

"But, the general's orders… "

"What's he gonna do about it? fire me?" he scoffed. "Come on, lets get to the mess hall, I'm dying for some breakfast."

They barely noticed the blue hedgehog they passed on their way to the mess hall.

Sonic had a thought, if his uncle wouldn't willingly let them fight, then he would just have to take things into his own hands. And now he had a plan, he just had to convince the others. He would find his mother, and free her. No matter what it took.

- - - -

Knuckles made his way through the dark, rubble strewn streets of Grand-Metropolis. He was late back from his duties at the emerald shrine, yet again. But instead of being late because he had been enraptured by the one of the old Guardian's tales as had been the cause in the past. It was now because he was overwhelmed simply trying keep the Chaos emerald's output at peek efficiency, so that the city had enough power to keep running.

It was a much harder job caring for the city's Chaos emerald than he had ever realised as an apprentice. In these few quiet moments Knuckles often wondered how the Guardian had ever managed it all.

He hadn't even had time to do any more digging into the whole Zachary affair, and the Order had already closed and sealed the case far beyond Knuckles' ability to view the findings.

He sighed as he walked up to the entrance to a large and rather opulent mansion. After he had assumed the mantle of guardian he inherited the mansion that came with the title and responsibility.

Knuckles made his way through the mansion's large entrance hall and into the kitchen to meet Tikal. She was sat at a small table eating a bowl of soup.

After he moved in he found the place way too big for him alone, so he offered a room to Tikal and she gratefully accepted his offer.

"Hey," Knuckles said with a half-hearted wave. He was shattered and didn't have the energy to be any cheerier.

"How did you get on today?" she inquired as she looked up at him.

"Good." He nodded as he fell into a seat at the table, "just keeping the output of the emerald constant is tiring enough, I don't know how the Guardian managed it all." He sighed. "How about you?"

"It's going well, we're mostly got people with lost limbs these days. We've got a shortage of prosthetic limbs, you see. There was this one woman, a robot pilot, she had her left arm crushed by rubble. She's now having to get used to her new mechanical one. Anyway, the repairs at the hospital are nearly finished and they say we can start moving back in a few day."

Knuckles gave a deep, involuntary yawn. "Good night, sis," he said as he stood.

"Aren't you going to have anything to eat?"

"No, I'm too tired."

"Okay then, good night, big brother."

Knuckles slunk up several flights of stairs to his room before finally collapsing onto the bed, exhausted.

From around his neck, Knuckles unclasped the platinum collar he wore. He took the collar and felt its weight in his hands. The collar marked his guardian-hood, but he still couldn't believe that it was now his responsibility to protect the Grand-Metropolis Chaos emerald. He laid it gently on the table beside the bed.

Knuckles lay back on the on the bed but something had kept nagging at him, preventing him from slipping off to sleep. In these quiet moments his thoughts would often drift back to the girl he left at the shelter all that time ago. He always wondered about what had happened to her after that night.

"Computer, place a call to the Grand-Metropolis adoption centre," Knuckles told the computer.

The monitor embedded in the wall rang several times before someone answered.

"Hallo, this is the Grand-Metropolis adoption centre," a tired looking brown echidna answered. "Aah, Guardian! I-is there anything I can do for you, Guardian?"

"Yes, I'm looking for a girl that was orphaned during the attack."

The tired echidna gave an exasperated sigh. "Listen, Guardian, there were hundreds of kids orphaned in the attack on this city. Let alone all those in the other cities and villages. Have you at least got a name?"

"Yes, Lara-Su."

"Is that it?"

"Um, yes," Knuckles said, now feeling rather foolish.

"Okay, let me see what I can do." The echidna sighed, before disappearing from the screen for several minutes. "She's in the orphanage in district 8," he said as he returned.

"Shouldn't someone have adopted her by now, or something?"

"Look, Guardian, there's only so many people who are eligible to adopt or provide care for the children. And many of the staff were killed, so getting through all the cases has been slow."

"I'm sorry for wasting your time, goodbye." The screen went blank and Knuckles just sat there staring at it.

- - - -

Somewhere high in the skies above the southern hemisphere of Mobius, a dark shape slowly floated between the wispy clouds: Sky Sanctuary. A massive airship that had been abandoned long ago by humans that had once strode the world like gods.

It had since been expropriated by the Order of the Emerald. And now Athair, the High-Guardian, stood on its observation deck watching, through cold blue eyes, the wasteland that stretched out endlessly miles below.

Athair was an aged echidna, far older than he would care to admit. His fur was a dull red colour and his stooped form rested on a walking stick of amazing elegance and opulence. The jewel encrusted stick sparkled in the light. A highly polished shard from a Chaos emerald served as its handle.

The doors hissed as they parted behind him and an echidna wearing a simple white robe entered.

"High-Guardian," the acolyte bowed low, prostrating himself before his master.

"What news do you bring?"

"The humans have located the ruins, High-Guardian."

"We knew this day would come, when the humans would return to reclaim what was once theirs," Athair turned awkwardly on his walking stick, to face the other echidna. "But we are no closer to awakening her today than we were a thousand years ago," Athair sighed.

"What of the Mercians, High-Guardian?" the acolyte asked hesitantly.

"They're going to be a problem that must be dealt with. In the future. For now though, we can use them to our own advantage. I want an envoy prepared and sent with an invitation of peace."

"At once, High-Guardian. May the goddesses' light shine upon you.'" the acolyte stood and, with his head still bowed, quickly retreated from the chamber.

Athair turned and hobbled to another doorway. With a wave of his ringed hand the door obediently slid open and he entered the dark room that lay beyond.

At the centre of the room lay a shining pod of metal and glass. Within slept what appeared to be a young wine coloured echidna girl. From somewhere deep within her an aura of brilliant ruby light seemed to radiate, filling the chamber.

"My sleeping beauty, when shall you awaken?"

* * *

**To totouredeamon;** Sally was mentioned in chapter 3, does that count? ... Hmm, okay, Yes, a hedgehogized version of Sally will appear – in fact, she already has. I'll give you a clue, think of her full name. As for Julie-Su, she may appear, but she won't have a very important role if she does.


	8. Chapter 7

**Seven**

The war had begun so well. The armies of Mercia rolled over the defending echidnas, crushing any and all resistance. But it was too good to last, their supply lines quickly became overstretched and their advance slowed, before grinding to a complete halt. Allowing the echidnas time to recover from the surprise of the hedgehogs' sudden attack, and regroup.

Finally, at the siege of Bakrasa, a small farming hamlet about thirty miles from the then capitol – Grand-Megaopolis - the exhausted and under-supplied armies of Mercia finally broke. In the years that followed, the armies of the echidna city states managed to push the hedgehogs further and further back towards their own borders, reclaiming much of what had been lost.

These desperate times were what brought Charles to the centre of a burning echidna farming village. For all the advanced technology the echidnas' possessed, these people had none of it. For them a horse and cart was cutting edge.

Charles paced slowly to the left, before turning back the other way. Hating himself for what he was about to do.

"We know you are sheltering one of the councillors families. If you hand them over you shall be allowed to live," he shouted at his captive crowed. The entire population of the little village had been corralled into the square. Surrounded by dozens of his soldiers they cowered and sobbed in fear, pleading for their lives and those of their families.

In a last ditch attempt to come out of the war on a favourable footing, Mercia launched a raid deep behind enemy lines, to capture themselves a bargaining chip. The family of the newly elected Grand-Councillor.

None of the cringing and terrified echidnas answered. Charles turned away from them and sighed, he had hoped it wouldn't have come to this. He signalled to one of his men who then approached the crowed. The soldier paused for a moment, considering them, before dragging a young man back to his leader.

Charles turned to face the crowed again, removing the handgun holstered at his side. "I will give you one last chance to show yourself." Still only silence answered him. He held the gun to the cowering echidna's head. He pleaded for his life to be spared while struggling against the grip of two hedgehogs who him held down. A heartbeat later the young echidna's body lay crumpled at Charles' feet.

His heart raced, Charles had to focus to stop himself from shaking, to stop himself from being physically sick. He had killed in combat many times before, of course. But this was different, he had never before murdered anyone in cold blood.

He waved his gun at the crowed, pointing at another echidna. A young girl who was being held tightly in her mother's arms. Two Mercian soldiers approached the screaming and pleading woman, but her cries for mercy falling on deaf ears. She fought desperately with them for possession of her daughter, but the butt of a rifle silenced her. She fell to the dirt floor as her daughter was dragged kicking and screaming to Charles.

As he raised the pistol Charles muttered a prayer of forgiveness to the gods, as he looked down at the bawling child, his finger hesitating on the guns trigger.

"STOP!" someone in the crowed shouted. An aged woman pushed her way from the cluster of echidnas, ignoring the protests of the surrounding villagers who had risked their lives to hide her. "I am who you are looking for, the wife of the councillor of Metropolis. Leave the people of this village alone, and I will go with you without a fight." Her head sank, admitting defeat.

Charles suddenly realised he had been holding his breath, and he was greatly relived to release it. He signalled his men who immediately seized the woman. "Tell command that we've got the objective," he ordered the radio operator.

"Yes, sir," answered the hedgehog with the bulky radio equipment on his back.

He turned back to the woman. "You have my word that the rest shall not be harmed."

They quickly retreated with their prisoner to a group of helicopters that sat waiting, just outside of the village. Climbing aboard, they were high in the sky moments later.

Charles watched the cluster of building that was an excuse of a village, as the great whirling machine drew further and further away. He sighed with relief, he was more than glad to see the back of it, and he hoped that the plan would work.

His face suddenly became pale, as blood drained from it and his eyes widened in horror. A thunderous whooshing noise drowned the hum of the helicopter's engines. Shadows flitted by, and moments later the little excuse for a village erupted in multiple blossoming explosions.

"Monsters, all of you!" the aged echidna behind him raged between sobs.

"Did you tell command that we got the objective?" Charles shouted at the radio operator, barely able to contain himself.

"I did, sir."

As the shock wave shook the little helicopter, Charles realised he'd been lied to by command. They didn't want the Echidnas to find out they had captured the Grand-Councillors wife. At least not until they were ready.

Two long days passed and the Mercian's gambit didn't work, the Grand-Councillor refused to end the war. So the cycle of pain and anguish continued, the bloody fighting didn't stop and with neither side making any gains or concessions. The gears of war continued to grind away any hope of peace.

- - - -

Charles shot bolt upright, drenched in a cold sweat. He looked around the darkened room getting his bearings. He found himself in an unfamiliar bad, in an unfamiliar room, looking up at an unfamiliar ceiling.

His memories of the past few months began to slowly drip back into his mind, as if the turbulent sea of his past were being held back by some great, but failing, dam.

Charles checked the time on his watch, 3:10. He groaned as he pulled himself out of bed and tugged on his uniform. He was shattered, though he knew he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. It had been the same every night for the past twelve years, though since the invasion the dreams had been getting worse.

The hallways of the base were pitch black and an icy coldness lingered in them, as he made his way in silence to the small room that served as his makeshift office.

He closed the door quietly behind him as he entered, then snatched up a bottle and glass from a nearby table before settling down at his desk. Charles pored the foul smelling liquid into the glass and gulped it down in one go.

"That woman," he whispered, looking down at his shaking hands. He cringed as if he could still see the blood that they were stained with.

The room he called his office was as dark as the rest of the place, little more than a desk and a chair with a few tattered maps thrown in for good measure. The bottle of viscous smelling liquid stood uncorked on his desk the empty glass thrown down next to it.

He stood and began to pace slowly around the little room. His hand falling to his side, brushing the gun holstered there. Dark thoughts forcing entrance into his tired and confused mind. It would be so easy, he thought. Charles suddenly screwed up his eyes and clenched his hands tightly into fists, he took a deep breath then slowly released it.

"I will not give up," Charles said determinedly to himself. "I promised him that I would look after them!" he reminded himself of the promise he made so long ago, the only thing that kept him going.

Eventually he opened his eyes again, he had no idea how long he'd stood there but sunlight was beginning to creep through the dirty little window.

Charles' eyes fell upon an old picture frame that stood on his desk, one of the only personal effects he had recovered during the invasion. As he looked at the picture an old memory assaulted the walls of his mind, he sat back down in a daze.

He found his mind unwillingly drawn back to the war. Back to a day he'd rather not relive.

Charles was sat there in a tent next to the stretcher which held his dying brother, he held Jules' hand all the tighter in his own.

"Please, Charles," he coughed and spluttered in obvious agony, his blue fur becoming more crimson with each breath, "please take care of my son and wife."

His brother's grip loosened and his arm grew limp as his final breath left his lips, the spark of his life abandoning him.

"I promise," Charles said silently as tears began to roll down his cheeks.

Suddenly Cable burst into his makeshift office, bringing Charles back to reality with a thump.

"Sir, you'd better come and have a look at this," the usually calm hedgehog appeared flustered and looked as if he had run all the way here.

"What is it?" Charles rose to his feet slowly and followed his second in command out to the courtyard. He led Charles to a spot by the gates where a group of ten or so hedgehogs crowded around something Charles couldn't quite make out.

"Out of the way," he bade, and with some reluctance the group did, revealing a battered and bloody body of an echidna.

"He was found by a patrol, crashed his moto-bug into a tree, or so I'm told," Cable said, anger and fear betraying him in his voice.

Charles gasped and rushed down to help the battered echidna sit, he glared accusingly at the surrounding hedgehogs. "I hope these injuries are just the result of his accident."

"Most of them," sneered one of them, though Charles didn't see which.

"I want a stretcher now!" Two of the gathered crowed quickly fetched one and brusquely moved the echidna onto it, like he was a piece of meat. As they were about to leave the echidna's hand grasped at Charles' jacket.

"I have a message for you," he managed as his other hand undid a pouch at his waist. A small metallic disc fell out.

As the echidna disappeared into the building Charles knelt, picking the disc off the floor.

"I want a guard on him," he said, looking up at Cable. "Make sure he doesn't get any mysterious injuries, and that he doesn't go wandering around." Then his attention turned to the disc, but a movement in the distance stole his attention from it.

Shadow? His eyes narrowed and his heart beat a little faster, his breathing became quick and shallow. The shadowy figure disappeared, slipping behind a tree.

Murderer! He could suddenly hear the screams of his dying men echoed in his mind, as those cursed red eyes peered out at him from the darkness between the trees all around.

"Sir, is anything the matter?" Cable said, bringing him back to reality.

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine," Charles said tersely as he stood and began to walk away.

- - - -

Pochacamac sat cross-legged on the dais, bathed in a softly shimmering blue light. Six ghostly echidnas appeared on seven other similarly low platforms, spread in a semicircle around Pochacamac in his dark chamber, the last stood dark and empty.

The echidna council very rarely convened in person, more so since the human invasion and subsequent occupation of much of Mobius.

"I will not seek an alliance with the Mercian remnants!" Pochacamac growled. "The Entente is bad enough after they betrayed us! But I will not lower myself to begging to that scum for help."

"It matters not, the issue has already been agreed upon by the other members of this council, and an envoy has already been sent," the hologram of Athair said, matter-of-factly.

"You can't do that! I'm the leader of this council."

"I think you are forgetting your place, Pochacamac."

"Yes, High Guardian," Pochacamac said through gritted teeth, as he bowed low toward the flickering holographic image of Athair.

"We knew you would object, given your grievances with the Mercian people, so we came to the decision earlier.

"Your leadership over the past few months has also been called into question. The rest of the council, as do I, believe that you are not suitable for this position, due to your prejudices, and that we need a new leader for these trying time."

"B-but you can't just do that!" Pochacamac tried to object, but his protest fell on deaf ears and the High-Guardian continued, ignoring his outburst.

"You will be informed on how the vote fares." One by one the ghostly echidnas faded until only one other remained. "Never forget, Pochacamac, disloyalty will not be tolerated." Then the last faded, and Pochacamac was left all alone in his now darkened chamber.

- - - -

Grimer saw the site as the transport neared, the jungle where the ancient lab had been hidden for so many centuries. The green blanket of life in that area had almost entirely been cleared, revealing three of the lab's four separate structures.

The little shuttle moved to land on a clear grassy patch where a white furred echidna was stood, waiting for them. The shuttle slowly touched down, the high-pitched drone of its engines dieing moments later.

"Take me to the site." Grimer demanded the second his feet touched the ground. It had been a long time since Grimer had been in such an unclean environment and he wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible, and return to the air scrubbed sterility of the flagship.

"I hope you had a pleasant flight," Zachary said with an air of mock concern.

"I have no time for small talk, echidna. The master wants whatever we can find. Immediately."

The old echidna noticed some of Grimer's men begin to remove a large crate from the transport. "What's that?" he asked.

"This is a perfectly working Dominion computer. It was recovered from an excavation on Drak last year," Grimer said with an amount of pride.

"A watery grave, huh?"

Grimer narrowed his eyes at Zachary. "You've been reading up, I see." He recomposed himself quickly before continuing. "Not really, Drak doesn't have nearly as much water as one would expect."

Zachary turned. "Right this way," he said as he began lead the way through the forest to the camp. From there they made their way through the camp and onto the excavation site.

Once in the ruin, Grimer took over. He led the way, seemingly knowing its layout by heart. He led them through room after dark and dirty room, until at last they arrived at the one that contained the lab's computer core.

Immediately Grimer began his inspection of it, and in minutes he had the thing in pieces.

"Hmm, it's not too badly damaged," Grimer commented as he reached the heart of the machine. He removed a large gently glowing crystal, which had a massive crack running down one side, and inserted the core into the computer he had brought with him.

"Lets see what happened before it was shut down."

A holographic screen popped into existence in the air above the computer. It showed the entrance chamber of building they had entered through.

Two men in white lab coats, one Zachary recognised as Marcus, approached a man in a uniform who was surrounded by a group of armed men in body armour.

"General, I never expected to see the likes of you here," Dr. Green said casually.

"I have no time for your games. Where is it?"

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're referring to. We only study the indigenous population of this..."

The general cut him off and signalled to the soldiers assembled behind him, "search the building and round up the staff."

"You can't do this. Dominion law prohibits…" Marcus began, but he was again interrupted by the general.

"The Dominion doesn't exist anymore."

"W-what do you mean?" Marcus asked incredulously.

"The Dominion is gone. It's every man for himself now," the general replied as his men returned with the building's scientists in tow and Marcus suddenly realised the gravity of the situation they were in. Not even in his most desperate thoughts did he consider the possibility of the Dominion collapsing.

"Now are you going to tell me what I want to know?"

"No," Marcus said defiantly. "I wont let you lay a finger on her."

"The galaxy has gone straight to hell, doctor, and I don't have time for this! If I can't have it..." the general gave a nod to his men, they opened fire on the assembled scientists. "then no one can."

"No!" Marcus screamed.

"Bring this one with us." He indicated Marcus and two soldiers quickly restrained him. "Download whatever you can from the mainframe, then destroy it. We can't risk anyone else getting their hands on the research." He turned and left as the recording ended.

Grimer searched through the remaining files, singling one out in particular. "It's here, just like he said it would be." He turned to Zachary, with a smile. "I have to get this back to the master, immediately."

- - - -

It had been a few days since they had arrived on Mobius, and Fiona hadn't even had time to think, let alone eat or sleep properly.

"The first and last days of a job are usually the most hectic. Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Talbon had told her with a reassuring smile

Today, though, was the first that she'd actually seen anything of the planet itself.

She was woken early and felt as if she'd only just managed to slip off to sleep. Outside it was still pitch black. As in the last few days, Jonas served up some pre-made ration packs for breakfast, and Fiona ate them as fast as she could. In the vain hope that if she did she wouldn't be able to taste it. But alas, she sighed, her master plan didn't work.

They had been housed at a small prefab base not far from some devastated city. The city had been built by primitive hedgehog-like aliens, Fiona had learned from one of the terrans that guarded them.

She was curios to see them, she had never seen aliens other than the terrans before. Through her mind marched many wondrous and fantastical images of what these hedgehog aliens might look like. Of course she had seen hedgehogs before, the zoo in her home town had even gotten some once, so she had some vague idea of what to expect.

The sun had begun to rise now, chasing away the shadows of the night, as the convoy and their escort set off.

Fiona was fascinated, as the convoy moved through the shattered, rubble strewn streets. She had never seen anything quite like it, it was more than literally a world away from what she was used to on Kitsune.

"It must have been a real sight, before it was all destroyed," she thought.

She craned her neck to look up at the burnt out skyscrapers they passed. The tall buildings like fingers clutching at the sky. She had never seen such high buildings in her life. Back home they were never more than two or three stories high, because of the risk from the rings of debris that surrounded the planet.

Talbon smiled, her amazed wonder infecting even his old and cynical heart, though he knew it wouldn't last.

The convoy moved out from the shadow of the dead city and into the slave camps which now surrounded it.

By now the sun was high overhead, and Fiona found herself standing in an enclosed pen watching Talbon, as he sorted the 'labourers' for the various tasks related to the construction of the citadel.

She couldn't quite believe what was going on as the battered and frightened spiny creatures - that didn't look like any of the hedgehog that she'd seen before - shuffle past, chained together.

"This is terrible," she said to Talbon.

"You'd better get used to it," Talbon replied nonchalantly as his made a note on his clipboard. "Were going to be here for a while."

"How can you go along with this?"

"Listen, girl!" Talbon snapped at her. He stopped and took a deep breath, his reaction had been harsher than he'd meant.

He started again. "The only reason were not in with them is because we are useful to these," he caught the word and shot a glance to the guard, over Fiona's shoulder. He lowered his voice to a whisper, "these terrans. And as soon as we're no longer useful to them, they'll descend on us and tear us limb from limb. Then we'll be the ones chained together. Now get back to your work."

"Yes sir," Fiona said, shocked at Talbons reaction. She hurried away choking back tears.

Talbon shook his head and sighed before turning back to his task.

She hurried out of the pen and carried on down the chain linked fence, watching the empty and hollow faces of the alien slaves as they waited to be processed. The terrans looming over them, ready to beat any that even looked at them the wrong way.

Amongst the downtrodden creatures that slowly shuffled past, Fiona saw a purple hedgehog and a chestnut brown hedgehog, neither of them could have been much younger than her. And she decided right there that she had to do something to help these poor creatures.

- - - -

He woke, eyes slowly flickering open. He tried to move but found that he couldn't, no matter how hard he struggled. Then he tried to look around, he could only move his head slightly, but enough to see that he was trapped inside a cylinder filled with a clear liquid. Panic began rising in him as his instincts kicked in, but they failed to take hold as he realised that somehow he could still breath.

Blurred figures danced beyond the glass of his prison, just out of view, and there was noise following them, were they talking? He strained to hear their conversation; there were two voices, they were arguing about something, one male the other female.

"Pack the prototypes up we're moving to the B site," the male voice said.

"The whole city is in flames, we'll never make it out," the female voice countered.

"I know, but we'll all be killed if we stay. And the echidnas' will get their filthy hands on the project."

"Yes, sir. Um, what about Gerald?" the female voice probed hesitantly.

"Tell the search teams to rendezvous with us at the B site. He's of no further use to us now, anyway. We've managed to work out most of the kinks, despite his parting gifts," the male voice was bitter.

He heard muffled footsteps growing dimmer with each step, until they could no longer be heard. Several minuets passed in silence, then his world was shaken as his prison was moved by some unknown power. Shortly after that he heard an engine erupt into life, and then he felt everything begin to move again. He had no idea how long the vehicle had travelled but it must have been for some time.

Suddenly he heard a whooshing noise and felt the vehicle swerve followed by the sound of glass shattering, then everything blacked out.

Shadow's eyes opened, his head fell into his hands and his brain throbbed, beating against the walls of his skull. He had been having these dreams ever since that time, but he still couldn't remember anything before then. Who were they? And who was this 'Gerald' they were talking about. The name sounded so familiar, like the answer was on the tip of his tongue, but always just out of reach.

He looked around the small room, good they were all still asleep. As he got up, he noticed that Sonic tossing and turning in his bunk. Shadow had begun getting up early to avoid Sonic's uncle, and those accursed medical tests he so insisted upon.

He'd barely slept at all since he woke up in the city, but it didn't seem to effect him much, he never felt tiered.

The sun was inching above the horizon as dawn's light crept over the landscape. Shadow took a lungful of the fresh morning air.

He had taken to sneaking out early because of the general.

When they had first gotten here he made them all get medical checkups, but for some reason Shadow's had continued. Every few days the doctors would return and the tests run again. When he asked the doctors if anything was wrong they simply dismissed it.

As he arrived in the grounds around the base he saw there was a ruckus by the front gate, a large crowed had gathered around something Shadow couldn't see. The jeering crowed parted enough for Shadow to see what held their attention.

It was an echidna! A violent impulse that he couldn't explain, surged through him, he had to completely and utterly destroy it.

A creature that he had never seen before, he knew he had to kill it. A voice at the back of his mind demanded its death, but gave no reason as to why. Kill! It commanded, wipe the disgusting creature from existence!

Before Shadow even realised what he was doing, he was stalking towards the fallen and battered echidna, his breathing deep and his fists clenched. His eyes darted around the courtyard, looking for anything that could be used as a weapon. It didn't matter though, he could kill it with his bare hand, he knew.

The group suddenly turned to someone who was approaching them, and for a second Shadow thought they had seen him. Until he heard the General's voice, he spun and saw the old sky blue hedgehog approaching.

Only the sight of the general snapped Shadow back to his senses, he hid quickly behind a tree, watching what unfolded.

The general headed towards the crowed, then he crouched beside the echidna. Two hedgehogs left and returned with a stretcher, before leaving again, this time with the echidna.

Charles stayed, crouching down, for another few minutes before heading back into the base with that lackey of his in tow.

"What happened to me?" He had felt this before, his mind flashing back to his earliest memories, and those two aliens he had managed to kill so easily, so effortlessly. Like it was something he had done all his life. "Something took over me." He felt it, at the back of his mind. A dark presence that pressed against the walls of his mind, trying to break in.

"No! I won't let you!" His head fell into his hands as his skull felt like it would explode. Several hours passed as Shadow battled with his unseen adversary.

He heard movement, he looked up and saw a familiar blue hedgehog coming towards him.

"Hey, Shadow, good I finally found you. I need to speak to you," Sonic said as he cast a conspiratorial glance around. Then he added in a whisper, "Not now, later. Meet me in the mess hall, in an hour." And before Shadow could respond Sonic was already away, heading back to the base.

- - - -

Talbon looked over the ruined city, he had travelled to the site where the citadel was to be built. The ruins of a palace.

"Why would Robotnik want the citadel in a place like this?" Talbon wondered. It made moving the materials needed much more difficult than necessary, and simply clearing the space needed would take several weeks at the very least. He turned and headed back to the truck.

"Vas, how long will it take to clear the space needed?" he asked as he entered.

"At least two weeks, boss."

"Okay, well as soon as the labourers have been fed, you should get them to work."

"Yes, boss."

Talbon left the truck again, needing a walk to clear his mind, it had been a long and difficult day, and things only looked to be getting worse.

He looked in the distance at the setting sun. "Blast it Robotnik." He sighed. "Why does it have to be in the middle of a half destroyed city?" Talbon shook his head, already tiered of the job.

- - - -

Sonic, Manic and Amy were sat around a table talking quietly in the old base's mess hall. Other than them, the place was near deserted.

As Shadow entered they all stopped and turned to him.

"At last," Sonic said. "Now lets get down to business."

"What? Wait! You never said anything about him coming," Manic shouted and stood, slamming the table with his fists.

"Calm down," Sonic said to his friend. "We can't do this without Shadow."

"Fine, but only because you were once my best friend," Manic said as he sat back down.

"What did you want?" Shadow said, ignoring murderous look Manic was giving him, as he took a seat at the table.

"Yeah, why did you drag us all here?" Amy asked.

"I'm sick of uncle Chuck not letting us help and fight," Sonic began.

"Yeah, but what can we do about it?" Manic interrupted, irritably, not taking his eyes off of Shadow. "Your uncle has already made his intentions clear."

"I'm getting to that. If he won't let us fight, then we should do it ourself. And I know exactly how. He's letting hundreds of people rot in the hands of those invaders." Though he failed to mention that he had an ulterior motive for this prison break.

"And how would we go about doing that? hmm," Manic asked, unconvinced by Sonic's proposition. "I'm not listening to this rubbish." Manic rose to his feet.

"Well it beats sitting here twiddling our thumbs! At least I'm thinking of something instead of feeling sorry for myself."

His comment hit Manic like a punch to the gut. He felt winded and slightly dazed, confused as to what had just happened. Slowly, he sat back down.

"Now we should do it early one morning..."

Shadow sat silently through the meeting, he wasn't interested in what Sonic wanted and had only humoured him because he was the only one who had shown him any kindness.

But as he spoke, Shadow could see the determination in his voice, see the fire that blazed in his eyes. And he came the realisation that If anyone could do it, it would be him.

- - - -

It was early in the morning and Knuckles had just gotten back from an emergency last night at the shrine. He yawned widely as he entered the kitchen and found Tikal chewing a piece of toast.

"Morning," his sister said cheerily.

"Night," Knuckles returned glumly.

"Everything go well?"

"Fine. Anything for me?" he nodded at the plate as he took a seat.

"You can have the last slice if you want." She pushed the plate towards him.

"Thanks." He took the slice of toast and chewed on it half-heartedly. He remembered something he'd been wanting to talk to her about. "You know that girl I told you about. The one I rescued during the attack?"

"Yes, what about her?"

"Well, I've decided I'm going to adopt her."

Tikal nearly choked on her toast, "What! You must be joking your only eighteen."

"No, I'm serious," Knuckles said with a stone face.

"But that can't be legal?"

"Probably not," he said nonchalantly, "but that's the advantage of being a guardian. Anyway, they're desperate, there are hundreds of orphans that need to be housed and cared for."

"B-but it's a huge responsibility, looking after a child. What about you duties at the emerald shrine?"

"It'll be fine. I'll be fine," Knuckles assured her as he stood and headed towards the stairs. "If you don't mind I'm going to bed," he yawned deeply. "Don't wake me for anything less than the end of the world."

Tikal sighed and looked on at her brother with concern as he ascended the stairs, she couldn't help but wonder what he thought he was doing.

- - - -

In the weeks and months that followed the invasion, hundreds of large metal huts sprang up in a dozen small villages around the ruins of Knothole. Packed to bursting point within were all who had been captured by the invading humans.

One of the unlucky many, a young purple hedgehog, lay on the floor of one of the huts. Sonia was struggling to get to sleep, she was exhausted after spending the day clearing rubble from the streets of the place that was once her home.

She tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable on the cold hard floor. Sonia's ears twitched, irritated by an almost inaudible noise.

"Did you hear that?" Sonia whispered to the girl who slept next to her.

"Hear what?" the other hedgehog asked rather grumpily at having her sleep disturbed.

"There it is again!" Sonia was starting to get really panicked now. "Can't you hear it, Alicia?"

Alicia had become the, almost, de facto leader of the camp, she even managed to convince the aliens to provide more blankets for the children, and was the first person you went to if you had a problem. A role which seemed to fit her like a glove.

Alicia sat up and took a look, humouring her friends concerns. The room was dark and filled with several dozen hedgehogs who were all trying to sleep. But it was almost impossible to get enough room in the cramped hut to sleep.

Then she saw it, by the entrance, black moving over black.

Alicia stood. "Who's there?" she demanded.

"Sssh!" the shape hissed back. "Be quiet."

A torch flickered on, casting a meagre light on the hut, revealing one of the new aliens that were around earlier. In a heartbeat the hut burst into motion as hedgehogs scrambled to their feet, to confront the sudden intrusion.

"It's one of them," someone gasped.

"Get it!" another yelled.

"No wait!" Fiona cried. "I'm here to help you. I've brought you some food. I know its not much, but it's all I could carry." She produced a small bag, stuffed with a handful of things she had stolen from Jonas' kitchen.

The air in the hut was suddenly electric as the fox's back was to the door and the hedgehogs were ready to pounce and tear her apart.

"Please," she begged, the hedgehog's anger hadn't been appeased by her meagre offering.

Alicia stepped foreword, she worked her way between the crowed of hedgehogs baying for blood and to the cowering fox. "Why are you here?"

"I-I wanted just to help you," she whimpered pathetically.

"If you really wanted to help you'd help us escape," Sonia burst out, from the safety behind Alicia.

"I... I can't," her head fell in shame. "I'm scared. If they catch me, they'll kill me."

"What do you think they're doing to us!"

"B-but... I just can't."

"We can hold it hostage!" someone in the hut yelled and was greeted by a cheer of approval. "Maybe can get an exchange, our freedom for its?"

"We shall do no such thing!" Alicia said resolutely.

"But, Alicia," Sonia began to protest, agreeing with the common consensus.

"If we did that we'd be no better than them," she said to the crowd. "Anyway, do you really they'd care about her." She looked to the cringing fox. "A little girl, who obviously doesn't have much sense. And you know as well as I that they'd kill us all in an instant, rather than negotiate." She then said to the alien girl, her sky blue eyes piercing the fox. "You had better leave. I cannot guarantee your safety here."

"I'm sorry," Fiona stuttered as she staggered back into the night. "I'm so sorry." She dropped the bag of food and ran, tears streaming down her face.

* * *

**To Northernmegas:** Actually, 40k was an influence, particularly in earlier versions of the story.

As for Sally, I'd rather change an existing character slightly than make an unnecessary OC. Plus change between the Sonic universes is nothing new, have you ever seen the (little used) Fleetway comic's version of Sally?

And why? Remember, - as I said in the note in the first chapter - apart from the invading humans and the recently arrived foxes, there are only hedgehogs and echidnas on mobius. Also there are only going to be a handful of other major characters changed, but I've tried to keep their personality true to their character.

Hmm, Tails... I can't really say anything about him, except this: Don't expect to see him any time soon.

Thank you to all who have read and reviewed so far – Rau.


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: Hi everyone, it's been a while, huh? For those who thought Knuckles hasn't been in it enough, I've added a new prologue, though I doubt any of you'll be thanking me for it. I've also revised the other chapters, nothing major, mostly correcting some mistakes.

One last thing, these chapters mark the beginning of the reign of my tyrannical overlord... um... I mean Beta-reader (eh, same difference), azngirlchibi. So pop over and say hi.

* * *

**Eight**

Talbon was already falling behind schedule, and that wasn't good for any party involved. He walked into the tent where Vasilis was leaning over a table studying a map of the area.

"How much longer until the site is clear enough for the construction to begin?"

"Another few days and it should be enough," Vasilis said as he looked up. He was a short fox whose dull yellow fur was matted in great ragged clumps by oil and grease. "All we need is a little more time, boss," he said, almost pleadingly, though he already knew the answer he'd get.

The older fox's ear twitched with irritation. "Time is exactly what we don't have. We're already behind schedule, and the Fleet Lord is getting impatient."

"If he wanted it done so quickly, he should have picked a better location."

"I know," Talbon sighed. "But it's not our job to question the Fleet Lord... or his reasoning."

Talbon turned to leave, hesitating momentarily at the entrance. He saw the ruins of the palace that once stood in the centre of the city. A chill autumn wind howled through the shattered windows and corridors of the once magnificent building, carrying with it the cries of the dead that surely haunted this desolate place.

Talbon wondered what must have been going through the minds of the hedgehogs that laboured away in the rubble. This was a place of leadership to them, a symbol of power. Now they were reduced to picking away at what little of it that was left.

"Look, I don't care what you have to do. But I want construction started tomorrow morning." Then he left before Vasilis could utter a protest.

Talbon shivered as he entered the palace. It wasn't so much the cold that got to him than the oppressive feeling that he was being watched. He made his way through the remains of vast empty rooms and long silent corridors. He wandered past gangs of slaves busily clearing rubble, but no matter how much life surrounded him, the place felt dead. In all his years travelling the galaxy he'd never felt anything like this before.

He was relieved when he finally emerged on the other side of the palace. He sighed and leaned against what remained of the outside wall momentarily. "Maybe the Mystics really did know what they were talking about." Talbon smiled and shook the thought from his head as he saw Jonas.

"Hey, Jonas!" he called to the other fox, who was busy talking to one of the slave taskmasters.

"Where's Fiona? I need to speak with her," he asked as he approached him.

"I don't know, boss. She was supposed to be working on the power hook-up, but I haven't seen her all morning."

"Where is that girl?" he muttered as he made his way to the parts fabrication tent, to see if that was where she was hiding.

Talbon stopped dead in his track as his sensitive ears picked up a distinct, high-pitched whine. High in the sky above the fox, Talbon saw a transport coming slowly into view, moving in a wide arc as it descended.

"Great," he muttered to himself as he made his way quickly to the landing pad. "A surprise visit, just what I need."

The small ship noisily touched down on the pad, and moments later, the large form of Robotnik appeared as the ship's doors diligently parted. He descended the shuttle's boarding ramp, flanked by two of his bulky guards. Robotnik stopped at the foot of the ramp and, completely ignoring the fox standing two feet away, he surveyed the area.

Hundreds of enslaved hedgehogs toiled away at various menial and not-so-menial tasks, watched over by armed and trigger-happy taskmasters.

The fox forced a smiled, trying to remain calm. "Greetings, my Lord. If I had known of your arrival I would have made preparations to make your visit more comfortable."

"I have no time for luxuries, Talbon." Now he focused all his attention on the fox standing before him, "All I care about is how much longer it will take until my citadel is complete?"

"As soon as the grounds are cleared, we can begin construction on the citadel," Talbon replied.

"You gave me those same assurances a week ago."

"Building something on this scale takes time, my Lord," the fox assured him. "And the tools you have provided me with," Talbon cast a disparaging glance at the dishevelled hedgehogs that slaved around, "Aren't up to the usual stock."

"I don't care for excuses, fox! I expect you to deliver upon your guild's word."

"On the honour of my guild, my Lord, the task shall be completed on time."

"For your sake, I hope you're right." Robotnik sneered as he disappeared back into the transport. The little ship roared as it fought against gravity to lift off, before it disappeared back into the sky.

"For the love of the Enchanter Kings!" Talbon gave an exasperated sigh after the whine of the ship's engines had faded from his ears. "Now where is that girl?"

- - - -

Fiona's heart pounded within the confines of her chest as she carefully closed the hatch behind her. It was late and she had just gotten back from the slave pens where she had met with Alicia in secret. After her first unsuccessful plan to help the downtrodden hedgehogs, she had begun feeling depressed. Until, a few days later, Alicia approached her and set up the meetings, so that she could continue to help, in some small way at least.

"I prayed that it wasn't true," came a voice that made her jump.

"Ah," she let a gasp escape, as she saw who stood in the doorway to a small meeting room. "Talbon!"

"No, don't tell me: you've developed an attachment to those slave." Talbon turned away from her and gave an exasperated sigh. "I knew this would happen. I knew you weren't cut out for this. I told your father as much, but he wanted his darling daughter to follow in his footsteps," he began on a tangent. "You do realize what this will do to his reputation, don't you?"

"But, sir," Fiona began to protest, but was cut off as Talbon turned on the young vixen, fury suddenly blazing in his eyes. All Fiona could do was cower against the wall at his sudden onslaught.

"You know what the Terrans would do to you if they found out!" Talbon shouted until his voice was hoarse. His eyes bored into her, and as he stood there Fiona felt as if his eyes alone could kill her; that they would consume her in their hellfire.

But when he continued he didn't shout. He didn't even raise his voice. He just looked at her with a great disappointment that doused the inferno in his eyes. "You're confined to your quarters until I can arrange you transport back to Kitsune."

"But, sir!" she tried to protest again.

"Don't start, girl! I'm not going to listen," Talbon said, sounding utterly exhausted.

"Yes sir." Fiona slunk dejectedly to her quarters.

- - - -

The sun had just brought its lazy head about the horizon, chasing away the cold autumn night.

The dawn forest was a hive of activity as nocturnal animals bedded down for the day and their diurnal relatives shook off the cobwebs of sleep. Nestled deep within the forest another of its inhabitants rejoined the world of the waking.

"Morning guys," Amy yawned as she approached the suspicious cluster of hedgehogs in an out of the way corner of the old base.

"You're late," Sonic snapped at her.

"Well, a good morning to you too."

"Here." Amy stared at the gun that Sonic had just dropped into her hands. It was surprisingly heavy considering its size.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" she asked as she looked up into Sonic's emerald eyes. The lump of metal looked so unassuming in her small hands.

"What do you think? That we go up to the invaders and ask nicely for them to release their slaves?" Sonic frowned at her as he turned to hand out the rest of the guns he'd stolen to the group.

"Well sorry," she said snidely as she stuck her tongue out at Sonic. "It's not like we're all heartless murderers, y'know," she said, trying to hurt him as much as much as he had hurt her the past few weeks.

He ignored her and she felt a pang of guilt, at her petty act.

She loved Sonic, truly. But he had become so pigheaded and single minded since the invasion, to the point of pushing everyone else into his ill thought-out plans. But she would do anything he asked, she would follow wherever he led.

He wouldn't let go of the vague possibility that his mother was still alive, even if clinging to those strands of hope would drag him and all those around into the jaws of hell.

She knew that it must be terrible, but found it difficult to empathize, perhaps because she had never known her own parents. They had both died when she was so young, in an air-raid during the war with the echidnas.

In fact, everyone she had known in her short life had been killed. In the last weeks of the war, the echidnas began to bomb the towns and cities across the south of the country into oblivion, wreaking a terrible revenge on Mercia for its own atrocities.

One night, she had been sent to the land of nod by one of her mother's soothing lullaby and promises of a bright and happy future. When she woke, her little village had been blown off the face of Mobius, and she was one of a handful of survivors.

After that, she had lived her life as ghost, an empty shell, simply existing from one day to another, until she met Sonic. There was something about him, though what, she couldn't say. Maybe it was his sheer love of life that intrigued her so?

Only he made her feel alive, in a world in which she felt dead.

They had all been affected by invasion, though to listen to Sonic you'd think he was the only one. She sighed, shaking her head and turned to look at the others.

Manic had become cold, even callous, since his twin sister's death. Amy couldn't hold that against him. She missed her best friend too. But he pushed everyone away in his spiral of self loathing and self destruction, seemingly determined to join her wherever she was now.

Shadow, on the other hand, was different. She didn't know much about him and he didn't really talk much about himself or his life before. He was distant, but not unfriendly, as if trapped in a wakening dream. He had little to say, but never held his tongue.

She looked back at the gun she clutched in her hands. With it she held the power of life and death, but could she really use it? Could she really kill? Even one of those who had taken so much away from her?

"Look, you should hold the gun like this," Shadow said as he approached Amy. He took her hands and repositioned the gun in them, showing her how to hold it.

"Um, thank you," Amy said, feeling herself blush slightly she looked away quickly. "How do you know how to use guns so well?"

Shadow suddenly went quiet and took a step away from her, "…I don't know." He moved quickly away from Amy, as if he'd been stung.

She looked up at the back of the retreating hedgehog with concern. "Shadow...?" But before she could say anything else, Sonic drew the group's attention to himself.

"Okay, we've gotta be quick, before the others notice that we're gone," he said as he turned to lead them back home.

- - - -

"No, you're wrong. We can change it!" Fiona announced with a certainty she'd never felt before; a certainty that blazed within and left no room for doubt. "As long as we tolerate something, it will never change."

Fiona looked back at the building she had called home for the past few weeks and sighed. She shook her head sadly, before she turned and began for the slave pens beyond the ruined city.

The young fox had been up all night worrying about what she should do. Until, finally, she decided that she had to free them now - there was no other choice. Now that Talbon had found out, he'd stop her from helping them altogether.

The first rays of sunlight began to creep over the land as Fiona made her way quickly and quietly to the slave camps. She tried to look casual as she passed through the guard post at the entrance.

She had to be quick. The guards of the night shift would be knocking off about now and there was a half-hour gap between them and the morning shift. She entered the generator control hut for this camp. To get the slaves out she had to take care of the fences first.

"What are you doing hear?" came the suspicious voice of the terran stationed there. He looked up from an old dog-eared book as she entered.

"Er, Talbon asked me to check on the power hook-up."

"Hmm," was all he said as he turned back to his book, so Fiona assumed it was okay to proceed.

She moved over to the control console, and with a quick glance at the guard to make sure he wasn't looking, she disabled the safeties on the generator. She'd have to be quick though. It would explode in about fifteen minutes, shutting down the power for the camp, including the electric fences.

"Thanks," she said with a forced smile as she left quickly, making her way to one of the huts. Her heart raced and her breathing was shallow, making her feel more than a little giddy. There was no turning back now.

She opened the hut and saw the mass huddled inside, the stench was overpowering.

"Listen, I'm going to get you out of here. But we're going to have to be quick," Fiona announced.

"You again!" someone growled as the mass began to stir.

"It's okay," Alicia said as she got to her feet. "What is it, Fiona?"

"Hurry, we don't have much time," the fox urged. "You've got to get everyone ready!"

"For what?"

"I'll explain on the way."

Alicia considered the fox's words for a moment before turning towards another hedgehog. "Okay, you go to the other huts and tell them to be ready to move."

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

"Here, you'll need this." Fiona said handed the hedgehog a small wand-like device, "It'll open the locks to the other huts."

"Don't worry, we wont be needing that," Alicia said with a proud smile as pair of hedgehogs lifted away a panel of the floor, revealing a hole just large enough for one of them to squeeze through. The hedgehog quickly disappeared into the hole.

Then Alicia turned to Sonia, "Come with us."

As Fiona led them to the fence she explained about what had happened with Talbon and her plan. "...So when the generator goes, the fences will be disabled and we'll be able to make our escape."

"And you're sure this will work?"

The fox nodded vigorously. "Absolutely."

"Okay, Sonia, you head back and make sure everyone knows the plan."

"Sure." And with that the purple hedgehog disappeared back the way they had come.

"It won't be long, so we'll have to be quick," Fiona began, but she was cut off by a burst of gunfire that could be heard echoing in the distance followed by screams. Shortly after alarms blared.

"What the...?"

Sonia came running towards them.

"What's going on?" Alicia asked.

"Some guards walked right into us," she said breathlessly, tears welling in her eyes. "They started killing everybody."

"What!?" The morning shift wasn't supposed to start for another 10 minutes. Fiona fell to her knees. "No..." She clenched her fists and pounded the earth, she felt like she'd just been punched in the gut. Everything was falling apart.

The shouts slowly came closer.

"Whatever you plan on doing to the fences, you'd better do it quick," Sonia said, shifting uneasily on her feet. "Otherwise were all dead."

Fiona now looked up, coming back to her senses. The generator should have overloaded by now.

"Oh, no," she gasped, realisation dawning on her. The guard must have been suspicious and checked on what she did. He must have also sent some guards to check on her. It was all her fault.

She'd have to think of something quick, and then it hit her. She turned to the others, "Come, we'd better go," she said as she stood, a new wave of determination running through her.

"What? What's going on?" Sonia asked confused.

Fiona didn't answer her, she just continued quickly along the fence, approaching a small storage shed. Opening it quickly with her access code, she disappeared inside. She reappeared moments later, hefting some bulky equipment. She dragged it to the fence and dropped it. Thumbing the activator, it hummed noisily to life.

It would be too loud and take too much time for the laser-cutter to cut a big enough hole in the fence for them to fit through. So she pushed it up against the fence and did her speciality, she overloaded the power pack.

"Um, we should probably move back a bit," Fiona said nervously as she took a step away.

"How far back?"

"As far as possible," she said as she spun on the spot and burst into a run.

There was a flash of light followed by a low rumbling explosion and she was thrown to the floor by a wall of heat.

"Is everyone okay?" Fiona asked as she got shakily to her feet. Great, she'd nearly killed them all again due to her recklessness.

"Yeah, I think so," she heard Sonia reply.

"I'm fine," came Alicia a moment later.

Through the smoke and the dust they saw that a large part of the fence had been reduced to its component atoms in the explosion.

"We should go back, there might be some survivors," Alicia said as they approached the small crater.

Shouts and gunfire could be heard growing behind them. "No there's no time, we've got to go," Fiona insisted.

"I can't leave my…" Alicia paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "I can't leave these people," she finally said.

"You can't do anything for them in here," Sonia replied.

"But..." Alicia began to protest, but was cut off as a group of terrans came running around the corner of the storage shed.

"There's no time! Run!" Fiona cried, pushing the pair of hedgehogs through the hole. She couldn't do anything right, but at least she could do this.

"Come on!" Sonia practically dragged Alicia by the arm as they made their way towards the shattered city for cover.

Fiona said a quiet farewell to the rapidly diminishing figures before turning to face the oncoming terrans.

"Don't shoot!" Fiona shouted at the top of her voice as she raised her trembling hands above her head. The terrans came running towards her, their guns pointed squarely at her head.

"On the floor!" one of the terrans commanded.

Quietly she complied, lying down face first onto the floor. She shut her eyes tightly and prayed that she'd brought them enough time to get away.

She felt large gloved hands move roughly up and down her body.

Maybe they were right, she thought as she lay there in the dirt.

"She's clean," the terran that leaned over her called.

Maybe, no matter how hard anyone tried, they were powerless to change a thing.

"Okay. Get up, fox!" he spat.

Maybe it would remain the same for all eternity.

As she got wearily to her feet, the heavy boots of the terrans sent her sprawling back to the floor, "Mutant scum!" he spat before dragging her back to her feet and finally dragging her away.

But she also knew that it didn't matter anymore. Her fate was sealed, and nothing she could do would change that.

She took one last look at the world, she knew it would be her last.

- - - -

Zachary stepped out of the scorching glare of the sun and into the cool shade of the tent. Inside, the command tent was unusually empty. The hustle and bustle was replaced by Grimer, who was sitting at bank of monitors talking to an image of Robotnik, one of his lackeys was stood to attention by his side.

"Yes, master. We have finished the excavations of the ruin." Grimer bowed his head to the monitor that held Robotnik's visage, and the face of the chubby human broke into sinister toothy smile. The sight sent a shiver running down Zachary's spine.

"Excellent, Grimer. I expect you to have the site cleaned up, and be back on board by tomorrow," the Fleet Lord replied, his smile growing even more sinister – if that was even possible.

"I will, master." Grimer bowed once more and Robotnik's face disappeared. He turned and nodded at man that stood beside him. At that the man took a small radio from his belt and began to speak into it.

"Unload the packages and set up a perimeter around the camp," he said quietly into the hand-held devise. "Warm-up the transport and prepare for a quick exit."

"Zachary, come with me," Grimer then said to the echidna as he left the tent. Zachary shot a suspicious glance at the man before he turned and followed Grimer.

The old echidna had to run to keep up with the wide gait of the gangly creature. "What did you call me for? What's going on?"

Grimer didn't answer. He just kept walking at a brisk pace until they were at the edge of the camp, where the rest of his entourage was waiting. They were carrying bulky weapons, and as he arrived he turned to face the camp and Zachary's eyes widened in horror.

"By the Goddess! What are you doing?"

The men approached the tents holding out their weapons. Jets of flame spurted from them, igniting tent after tent.

"Cleaning up," he said grimly, not looking away from the rapidly growing sea of flames.

The camp was quickly engulfed by the inferno as Grimer's entourage set each tent alight with a ruthless efficiency. Zachary could hear the horrified screams of shock and agony from those trapped within as the camp was reduced to ashes.

The aged echidna stood there transfixed by the firelight that danced in his eyes. his heart in his mouth as he watched the camp burning. A wave of scolding heat washed over him, carrying the sickly sweet smell of burning flesh that turned his stomach. He fell to his knees, retching. He felt like he was going to be sick.

Anyone who managed to escape from one of the blazing coffins was quickly dealt with in some equally horrible manner. Within minutes the camp had been reduced to cinders and no one was left alive.

Zachary stared in disbelief at the carnage before him, this was the kind of thing the aged echidna was trying to escape - the naked abuse of power.

"Is it done?" he heard Grimer say. As the old echinda looked up, he saw that the man they'd left in the main tent had reappeared.

"Yes sir."

Grimer didn't reply. He just nodded. Then he turned and led the way to the waiting transport. Zachary got shakily to his feet and followed.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Zachary wondered to himself as he climbed into the ship and took the seat by the window. The engines roared into life before settling into a mind numbing whine as the ship lifted off. He saw a column of thick black smoke drifting high into the clear sky from where the camp had once been.

Only a single thought had any presence in Zachary's numbed mind: Why was he still alive? What could Robotnik possibly still want from him?

Suddenly the ship was shaken as the jungle below was reduced to a mushrooming cloud of flame and dirt.


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: We've reached (more or less) the halfway point of Ashes.

Also, anyone going to the Summer of Sonic event in London on the 9th of August, I might see you there. I really can't wait to try Sonic Chronicles.

* * *

**Nine**

Charles sat at his desk, holding the smooth silvery disc. It had been a few days since the echidna's arrival, and he was well on his way to a full recovery.

But the old hedgehog could not quite believe the news that the echidna had brought: the echidna council proposing an alliance, of sorts? Unbelievable! It was inconceivable that they would ever make such an offer, but there it was right in front of him. And could he afford to look this gift horse in the mouth?

He sighed as he set the disc onto his desk and pressed a button on it. A fuzzy holographic bust of an echidna appeared in a flash, floating just above the disc. He had to see it again, unable to convince himself that it wasn't a dream.

"Greetings to whomever this reaches," the holographic echidna spoke. "I am Grand-Councillor Sabre, and I speak on behalf of the council." The echidna paused and took a deep breath. "I never thought this day would come, Mercian," he spat the name, as if it left a foul taste in his mouth just from speaking it, "But in the best interest of both our nations, I think the evidence speaks for itself of our mutual need to join forces..."

There was a knock at the door. Charles paused the recording and the echidna froze halfway through speaking.

"Come in."

"Sir, the echidna is ready to set off," Cable said as he entered.

"He has the letter?"

"Yes sir."

Charles nodded as he stood "Okay, I want to see him before he leaves." Charles made his way from the office to the courtyard where the echidna was preparing to leave, with Cable in tow.

"Sir." The echidna saluted as Charles approached.

"Hmm, who would have thought an echidna would ever treat a hedgehog with respect."

"My respect is not directed towards you, sir, but the importance of the mission entrusted to me by the council."

Charles decided to overlook the slight. "You're ready to leave?"

"Yes sir."

"Are you sure you can make it back? You're still injured and your bike isn't in the best condition. You could be risking your life for nothing."

"My mission is my life," he said defiantly as he straddled the bike. Seconds later he was gone, vanishing into the surrounding forest without a trace save for a high pitch whine that faded away shortly after.

"Are you sure it's wise to just let him leave?" Cable asked, concern clear in his voice.

"In all honesty, I do not." Charles sighed, shaking his head as he turned away from his long-time comrade. "But what other choice do we have? If we can't settle our differences and unite with the echidnas and the entente, how can we possibly defeat an enemy like these invaders?"

- - - -

"Maybe we should just head back?"

Sonic glared over his shoulder at Amy and she visibly withered under his cold gaze. "We're not going back," he growled at her, before continuing his climb over the remains of a wall.

The alarms began to blare almost a soon as they entered the city. At first they thought they had been spotted, but after several minutes passed and guards hadn't appeared they agreed it must be something else.

After that, tension in the group grew with every step they took as the alarms' wailing cries echoed through the eerily still and shattered streets as if it where the dead themselves crying from beyond.

"Hey, where's Shadow?" Manic interrupted the pair as he dropped to the floor from the wall, looking around for the missing member of the party.

"He was here a minute ago," Amy said a she joined him in looked around. "Should we stop and look for him?"

"No," Sonic snapped, not turning back he just continued along the road. "We keep going forward."

"But..." Amy began, but another, even colder, glance from Sonic and the rest of the sentence caught in her throat refusing to approach Sonic's ears.

"That coward!" Manic spat. "He must have run off."

In the distance the alarms' troubled bleating was joined by a crescendo of gunfire, followed closer by the rapid beat of running footsteps, and from around a corner ahead of them, two figures appeared, and came to a screeching halt.

Two dishevelled hedgehogs stood at the end of the street, one purple, the other chestnut brown.

The two groups just stared at each other, unbelievingly.

"Manic!" The purple hedgehog broke the uneasy silence.

"Sonia!?" Manic cried. He couldn't believe it. Tears streamed down his face as he ran to embrace his sister. "I thought you were dead."

"I'm sorry," was all she could manage through the tears.

"What happened? How did you escape?" Amy asked after the pair had calmed somewhat.

"There were these other aliens, they kind of looked like foxes," Sonia managed through relieved sobs. "One of them helped us escape."

"Did you see my mum in there?" Sonic asked.

She looked away from him, uncomfortably. "No. She wasn't in our camp at least," she said sadly. "But that doesn't mean she didn't escape when they invaded," she added, trying to cheer Sonic up.

"Yeah, maybe," he mumbled, agreeing half-heartedly.

"Over there!" They heard a shout and their little reunion was broken short. "On the floor, now!"

They all looked up, surprised. A group of the aliens were running at them, their weapons raised.

Sonic shot a glance up and down the street. There was nowhere to hide. His fingers brushed the pistol holstered at his side. There wouldn't be enough time, he knew. He would be dead before he managed to get of a single shot. His heart sank, it was over.

Suddenly the chest of the closest one erupted in a spray of blood, followed by the head of another. The rest of the aliens suddenly dropped to the floor, taking cover wherever they could find it.

"Run!" A voice shouted at them from behind.

They turned to see Shadow half hidden in a shattered window frame, two smoking pistols in his hands. He didn't wait to see if they'd listen. He'd already turned and began to run. But they didn't need telling twice. They turned and followed, vaulting through the window and fleeing into an alley that ran along the back of the houses.

Shouts could be heard behind them as the aliens gave chase. Shadow continued to provide cover for them, firing back at the pursuing aliens every now and again, but they still came. Now the hornets' nest had really been stirred. From around almost every corner more of the aliens appeared, swarming all over the city.

"This way!" Shadow called as he disappeared into the ruins of a devastated house. The second floor had collapsed, but the rubble formed a ramp that led up to a hole in the wall. The group wasted no time in scrambling up the rubble.

"Aaah!" Sonic fell as part of the rubble gave way. He slid to the floor and hit it hard. Groaning as he rolled on to his back, he came almost face to face with one of the aliens.

Sonic scrambled in panic, but couldn't find any leverage to pull himself up. Finally remembering the gun, he tore it from the holster. Shaking as he aimed it at the alien, a knot of fear tightened in his stomach, he could barely breathe.

The alien spotted the panic stricken hedgehog and charged. Sonic pulled the trigger. Click, nothing happened. Click, click, what was wrong with this piece of junk?

The creature was almost on top of him now, and Sonic was in a blind panic. He threw the weapon as hard as he could, but it harmlessly bounced off of the alien's body armour.

The alien loomed over him, sneering as he raised his weapon.

Sonic knew he was dead, and in a funny way, he thought, it was poetic justice. It was he who had pushed them all into this dangerous mission for someone who might not even have been there. It was he who had insisted that they could fight, and he wasn't even able to get them passed the first hurdle. Sonic hoped that the others would make it back okay. He couldn't bare to think that he caused them to get injured, or worse.

Sonic closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable. Bang, that's odd, he didn't feel dead. He opened his eyes and saw the invader clutching a gaping hole in his chest, horrified surprise plastered all over his face as he dropped to the ground, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Sonic looked up and was surprised to see not Shadow like he half expected, but Amy silhouetted in the hole in the wall. She was holding a smoking pistol and shaking like a leaf, tears rolling down her face. She fired again and again into the corpse of the alien, until her gun was empty.

"Sonic!" she cried, her voice barely a whisper.

He stood and ran to her, taking her in his arms. They ran through the alley together. Stopping at the mouth, he peered around the corner.

"No," Sonic hissed. More of the aliens appeared and he knew they wouldn't both be able to make it. "Run, I'll meet you back at the base later. I promise," he said before running into the street, into the path of the oncoming aliens.

"Over there!" He didn't here them, as their gunfire drowned them out. But he felt the bullets as they whizzed past him, and the world seemed to slow to a crawl.

He turned the corner ahead at full pelt.

Crack! The butt of an alien's rifle made contact with Sonic's skull, hard. He was sprawled on the ground before he'd realised that anything had even happened.

"We got one!" was the last thing that Sonic heard before the cold and numbing darkness consumed him.

- - - -

Charles slowly made his way through the base back to his office. He gave a relived sigh. At least that echidna was out of his hair now. He didn't have to worry about his safety, or what he got up to.

Though he hated to admit it, the echidnas were their last hope. They had managed to survive the invasion intact while Mercia had been devastated, with only pockets of uncoordinated resistance now remaining.

As he approached his office, he noticed the door ajar. Removing his gun from its holster he slowly moved closer.

As Charles entered his office he found an old, ash grey furred hedgehog sitting in his chair. The old hedgehog slowly turned to face him, his fingers knitted together in front of his frowning face. He didn't even batter an eyelid at the gun that was pointed directly at him.

"What do you think you're doing, Charles," the Director spoke softly, but the menace in his voice was clear. "Harbouring an echidna in my facility."

Charles sighed, holstering his weapon. He had tried to hush it up, but he knew the Director would find out eventually. In fact, he was surprised it had taken him this long.

"The echidnas have proposed an alliance," was all he said in reply.

"And you take them at face value?" the Director asked, incredulous. "You know as well as I, what they did in the war."

"I also know what we did," Charles retorted, barely able to keep his growing anger in check. "During the war, and after it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" the Director sneered.

Charles didn't get a chance to answer as Cable burst into the office at that moment.

"Sir!" Cable said in a fluster, not even noticing the Director in his haste. "The weapons room has been broken into, and your nephew and his friends are missing."

"What?!" Charles turned back to the Director, "We'll deal with this later." He then turned and left the office followed by Cable.

"Topaz," he spoke to the hedgehog who had stood quietly in the corner of the room. The aged hedgehog stood and moved to the window before he continued, "Charles is becoming a problem," he said, more to himself than her. "Ever since the test, he's been a thorn in my side. Doing his damnedest to derail my project. I knew I should have had him disposed of then," he sighed.

"Yes sir."

He massaged his temples, a headache overcoming him. "Have we been able to make contact with any of the others?" He changed the subject to get his mind off Charles.

"Yes, sir. We've been able to establish contact with the Emerald Hill facility."

"Hmm, so section two and their Metallix project have survived have they?" The old hedgehog turned to face Topaz. "I think I have an idea," he said as a smile that could freeze the blood in your veins flashed menacingly across his face.

- - - -

"Wow," Lara-Su gasped as she entered the massive house. She'd never seen a place so big before. She looked from left to right absorbing the incredible sight. She felt like this was place was too good to be true. "This place is massive."

"Yeah," Knuckles smiled. "I know."

"Hello," Tikal said as she approached them from the kitchen.

"H-hello," Lara-Su said nervously, retreating slightly behind Knuckles' legs.

"It's okay, this is Tikal. My sister," Knuckles said.

"It's nice to meet you, Lara-Su," Tikal smiled. "I think we'll be good friends."

"O-okay," Lara-Su said with an unsure smile.

"Come on, I'll show you your room." They walked up the stairs. "This is going to be your room."

They entered a large room, that had been filled with anything Knuckles could find, stuffed animals and games, clothes and toys of all shapes and sizes – as a Guardian he got a rather generous allowance.

"It's amazing!" The little girl was awestruck; she had never seen such a big room or so much stuff in her entire life.

"Listen, Knuckles, have you heard the news?" Tikal said to him quietly as Lara-Su explored her new room. "Apparently the council has been holding talks with the Mercian remnants."

"What!?" Knuckles was blindsided by the news. "The Order would never stand for it."

"From what father said, they were the ones who pushed the idea."

"Wait, you're speaking to our father, now?"

"Well, we might not get on very often, but he is still our father." She looked at Knuckles with concern. "You should at least try to get along, he really does miss you."

"Listen, I'm not going to have him mentioned in this house." Without realizing it had had begun to shout, drawing Lara-Su's eyes to him.

"Have I done something wrong?" she asked with a worried look.

"No," they both said at the same time.

"Why don't I show you the rest of the house," Knuckles said to Lara-Su before turning to his sister. "We'll talk about this later," he growled through gritted teeth.

- - - -

They looked up as Cable entered the room, quickly ushering Amy in. "Please wait here," he said before leaving.

Amy's bright eyes searched the room. She saw Manic and Sonia and Shadow, but not... "Where's Sonic?" Tears began to stream from pink hedgehog eyes. "He promised that he'd meet me back here!"

"He's not with you?" Sonia asked.

"No."

"I'm sure he's all right," Shadow said awkwardly, unsure how to get her to stop crying.

"We got separated," Manic said mutely.

"I'm so sorry." Sonia moved to the sobbing hedgehog and put an arm round her, trying to comfort her friend.

The door flew open and Charles burst into the room, furious. Cable following him in.

"What did you think you were playing at?!" Charles bellowed at them. "You stole weapons and left the safety of the base! Where you trying to yourselves killed?"

The group just looked at their feet and mumbled. All except Shadow, who met Charles' piercing gaze with one of his own.

"We were freeing the slaves," Shadow said, stepping up to defend their actions.

"You jeopardized everyone's lives!" Charles reeled on the black hedgehog, he as reaching the end of his tether.

Shadow stood his ground, staring the old hedgehog right in the eye. "We did what you wouldn't!"

Shadow was sent flying to the floor.

No one could believe what had just happened. Charles had struck Shadow.

"You monster! It's your fault!" Charles was in a rage.

"Sir, you've got to calm down," Cable said as he tried to restrain the old hedgehog.

"Let go of me!" Fire pulsed through Charles' veins as he struggled against his subordinates grip.

Shadow got up. He looked Charles right in the eyes. The air was electric as they glared at each other unblinkingly. Without saying a thing he turned and walked away leaving a deathly silence in his wake.

- - - -

Charles sat slumped at his desk; several empty bottles lay scattered about there. Another stood, half empty, in front of him.

He looked at the picture of his brother through unfocused, tear filled eyes. "I'm sorry," he choked. "I can't keep the promise any more."

He couldn't order a rescue mission for his nephew, even if he thought there was a realistic chance that he was still alive. He couldn't be seen to show favouritism; he had a tough enough time keeping order in the base as it was.

He placed the picture face down on the desk, unable to look at it any longer. So he just sat there, drowning his sorrows.

"It was that cursed monster's fault! He was the one who put the idea into his head," he -hissed through clenched teeth. But there was nothing Charles could do about that either, he wouldn't let him.

With a rueful sigh Charles let his heavy eyelids slid shut, and suddenly found himself in a dark forest.

He looked around the familiar scene, another of his nightmares. He was surrounded by a dozen soldiers, his soldiers. They had fled into the forest to hide, to get away from those monsters. But it hadn't worked.

The world was still and an unnatural silence clung to the forest. It was so quiet that each beat of his heart sounded like a roar of thunder.

It was as if time itself held its breath.

Dark shapes flitted noiselessly between the trees, moving with an unnatural speed.

"They're in the trees!" one of the soldier screamed in terror, a second before his chest exploded.

And the world erupted into a blur of motion and fire.

Of deafening noise.

Of blood and death.

Charles gasped as his eyes shot open, a sudden explosion of pain surging through his chest. He jolted awake, clammy hands clasping his chest. Breathing rapid and shallow as he frantically looked around, he found himself once more in the tiny little room that was his excuse for an office. And with a sigh of relief the tired old hedgehog leaned back in his chair.

They hadn't stood a chance against those things, but then again, hadn't that been the point?

Ever since the end of the war it had been one petty little power play after the other. Like some child jealous of another's toy, GUN had been systematically destroying the military. Piece by piece.

Charles burst out laughing. In the end, what did it matter? An even bigger bully had come along and snatched their prize.

He wiped away the tears that streaked his tired face as he reached for the bottle on his desk, the idea of a glass long since forgotten. Finding it empty, he discarded it and went stumbling around, hunting for another.

- - - -

"It's all your fault!" The General had cried the accusation in a fit of rage. He had blamed Shadow unquestionably, even though it was Sonic's plan. Even though he pushed them all into it.

Did he even have the right to try and evade blame, though? It wasn't as if he had tried to stop him. In fact he was secretly glad to have been able to get out of the base and do something.

Shadow lay there in the bunk, pretending to be asleep. The others had begun to calm down and slip off to sleep, too, after 'lights out' was called. A minute passed, and the lights finally flickered off letting the darkness penetrate the room.

Shadow sprang into action; he leaped from the top bunk and landed silently on the floor. He stared at Sonic's empty bed for the briefest of moments, and it only re-enforced what he already knew he must do.

Nary a sound was made as he opened the door and crept beyond. The thick ever-present darkness covered the entire base like a shroud, which suited Shadow just fine. He preferred the darkness anyway, it made him feel... safe.

The smattering of guards that were placed haphazardly around the old base were about as effective at guarding as damming a river with a fishing net, and Shadow was past them and over the fence before they had even doubled back along the routes of their patrols. He slunk into the forest and was gone without a trace. A Shadow lost amongst the shadows.

The general was right, though, it was his fault. And he would fix his mistake.

He would rescue Sonic himself.


	11. Chapter 10

**Ten**

The Director inspected the sleek robotic hedgehog that lay, as if asleep, on the table in front of him. Its cold metallic silver-blue armour shone in the dim light as Its black pupil-less eyes stared blankly into space. The Metallix - it truly was a technological marvel.

The old hedgehog smiled. Not even the disappearance of the Shadow prototype could dampen his spirits anymore.

It had taken nearly a week for the machine to be moved here, along with the cadre of technicians who attended it. Section-two wasn't best pleased about it, but it didn't matter what they thought. He was still the one in charge and that was all that mattered.

"When will it be ready for activation?" he asked the pale green hedgehog, the head of the technicians, who stood beside him.

"We can activate it when you're ready, Director," the head technician said. He hesitated a moment before continuing, a note of urgency entering his voice, "Sir, I must advise against this. We've not been able to work out all the bugs from the software; the AI is unstable and is prone to violent outbursts."

"I don't care, activate it now."

The hedgehog sighed as he removed a key from around his neck and unlocked the control panel that was attached to the table. With the flicking of a few switches, he started the activation sequence.

Within moments, blood red eyes flared as the machine hummed to life.

"Release the restraining clamps."

Two technicians moved around the machine, releasing the heavy clamps that secured it to the table.

The machine slowly sat up, wires that connected to it falling away. Swinging its legs around it climbed from the table, landing with a dull clank. Its large head swivelled, looking around at them, analysing everything in the room.

"Can it hear me?"

"Yes, Director, it can."

The old hedgehog smiled as he looked deep into the unblinking eyes of the machine. "State your designation."

"Metallix prototype mark zero-zero-eight," its synthesised voice rasped obediently.

"Lets see what you can do, shall we." The old hedgehog nodded to two armed guards who then began to advance on the machine, sneering. "Metallix, disable the aggressors."

As the old hedgehog moved to a safer distance he added, "Without killing them." As though it were an afterthought

"By your command."

The machine moved so fast that if you'd blinked at that moment you'd have missed it. A spiked fist slammed into the closest soldier's face and was accompanied by a wet cracking noise as his nose shattered. He staggered across the floor screaming in pain as he clutched at his torn face, blood pouring from it like a waterfall.

The second fired at the machine, but the bullets did no damage. They just pinged harmlessly off its armour.

The Metallix's hand shot out, grabbing him by the wrist. He cried in agony as the machine crushed it as easily as someone snapping a pencil. It tore the rifle from his now useless appendage and turned the weapon on its former owner. A hail of bullets tore through the hedgehog's legs.

Both soldiers lay in pools of blood on the floor, a chorus of agony reverberating off the walls as the machine towered above them, casting over them its pitiless gaze. It dropped the rifle after deciding that they were no longer a threat, and that its mission had been completed satisfactorily. It stood there, in the growing sea of blood, awaiting new direction.

The Director stood, his mouth agape. He glanced quickly at the timer; not even thirty seconds had passed. "Amazing." His mouth curled in a twisted smile as he beheld the carnage before him. The prototype's performance had gone far beyond even his wildest expectations.

"Shut it down," the Director said as he turned to the technician.

At that moment, something in the machine's artificial brain snapped, its self-preservation protocol taking control. The two technicians that approached it were dead before anyone realised what had happened.

A wave of static electricity filled the air as the Metallix's red eyes flamed. Its midsection began to crackle with energy and emitted a growing light.

"Run, it's charging its blaster cannon!" the pale green hedgehog managed, a heartbeat before the room was washed away by the intensity of the light.

- - - -

Remington sat in his office, the stress of fighting a superior foe, in both numbers and - whilst incredibly crude – technology, with increasingly limited resources, was getting to him. With the lose of capital status for Metropolis as well, things could hardly get any worse. But somehow things always managed to.

Knuckles entered his office, snapping him out of his reverie.

"You summoned me, sir."

"Yes, Knuckles," he said solemnly. "The Order is sending a representative to the Mercian remnants."

"Yes, sir, but what does that have to do with me?" he asked, slightly confused.

"You are the one who they're sending."

"What!? But what about my duties here?" Knuckles was stunned by the news.

"Don't worry, they're sending a replacement," Remington sighed before continuing, "A transport will take you in a month."

"Yes, sir." Knuckles bowed before leaving.

Remington watched the young echidna leave. Knuckles was a more than competent guardian, a worthy successor, and he was sorry to see him leave - though not as sorry as he would be later, when the Councillor found out. Whoever replaced him had incredibly big shoes to fill.

- - - -

Amy sat on the bough of a bare tree, unmoving. Watching the dim form of the low sun as it was hugged by thick grey clouds. An ice cold wind blew, numbing her body almost as much as her mind.

Where was her silver lining, she wondered as she stared into the dark clouds that threatened to release a torrent of freezing rain upon the land.

Her world had been torn apart, and she didn't know what to do with the pieces.

She was vaguely aware of someone calling up to her. "Look, Amy," the voice said. "Come down from there, you'll catch your death of cold." Sonia looked up at her friend with concern. "You've barely eaten a thing in days."

"I'm fine," she said without even bothering to cast a glance down at her friend.

"Do you really think Sonic would have wanted you to waste your life away like this?"

"What does it matter," Amy said numbly, though her voice was stolen by the frozen fingers of the wind. "It's not going to bring him back, whatever I do."

"You need to grow up, Amy Rose!" Sonia began. "You're not the only one to have lost somebody."

_What right do you have to lecture me! _Amy 's mind screamed furiously. Outwardly she gave a sigh and a shiver before dropping from the branches of the tree. "Whatever…," she said, her blank hazel eyes flickering over Sonia as she turned, and began to make her way to the building.

"Amy, where do you think you're going?" came Sonia's voice from behind. Amy didn't respond, she just kept walking. "Hey, wait up!"

_Why won't she just leave me alone?_ She thought as she sped up, but she didn't get very far. "What the…!" Amy stumbled as the entire world seemed to shake.

The wall ahead of her exploded and the entire area was filled with a suffocating blanket of dust and smoke. Coughing, she waved a hand in front of her to try and clear the thick cloud of dust away.

"Is anybody there?" she called tentatively as she moved closer to the newly made hole. She saw a shadowy figure moving in the smoke. "Are you okay?"

As the cloud of debris began to clear, it revealed a solitary figure, a silvery-blue machine. It stood in the mouth of a rend in the wall.

A terrified scream caught in her throat as its blood red eyes turned to her. The mechanical hedgehog stared at the terrified girl, almost as if it were intrigued by her. It took a step closer to her.

Amy involuntarily took a step back, and into the cold, hard wall.

"Stay away!" she screamed as she threw up her arms in a futile gesture. The machine was so close to her now that if it could breathe, she would have felt it on her skin.

It seemed to study the cowering girl intently for a moment, before its cold arms grabbed hold of her.

"Let go of me!" Amy struggled against the machine's iron grip.

"Leave her alone!" came the panicked voice of Sonia, as she ran to Amy's rescue, a long metal pole clutched tightly in her hands. But with a sudden movement, she was sent flying into the wall. The pole clattering to the floor, followed by Sonia's unconscious body.

"Sonia!" Amy tried to run to her fallen friend, but the machine's unbrakable grip had her securly. It brought her closer towards itself as five hedgehogs came charging through the rubble, rifles aimed directly at it and, by the same token, at her.

"Don't shoot!" Amy screamed as she continued to struggle pointlessly, tears flowing down her cheeks as terror squeased down on her heart. She slammed her eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable end.

- - - -

From the shadows he watched on as the Metallix's jet engines roared to life, and it took off, flitting away above the trees, before climbing higher into the sky. The Director wiped the blood that dribbled from his mouth. Other than a few cuts and bruises, he'd managed escaped the rampaging machine unhurt.

He stepped into the bright glare of the sun and produced a remote controle from his pocket. "Don't think you can get away so easily," the elderly hedgehog said with a smirk as he pressed a button on the remote.

- - - -

Mere seconds ago, Amy had struggled furiously against the Metallix's iron grip, but now she held on for dear life. A chill wind howled in her ears, deafening the young hedgehog and freezing her to the core, as the machine soared through the sky.

From that high up Amy could see for miles around. She could see the ruins of Knothole, where the aliens had begun building a large gherkin-like structure in the centre of the city. She could see the vast inland sea stretching, seemingly forever, in front of them.

She shut her eyes tightly, a feeling of vertigo suddenly overcoming her. She clung on even tighter. All she wanted was to be back on solid ground. Preferably, though, not as a smear.

The machine shuddered as its red eyes dimmed and its jet engines cut-out.

The Metallix and Amy tumbled from the sky, plummeting to the planet far below.

- - - -

Amy's mind swam. She was drowning amongst her memories. Desperately she fought for air, for escape from the terrors that haunted the darkness of her mind.

Emerald eyes flashed from the darkness, illuminating it like a flare in the night.

"Sonic?" Amy thought numbly.

"Amy?" came a surprised voice that sounded just like his.

She tried to move toward the muffled voice, but her limbs were heavy and moved so slowly.

"Sonic!" she tried to cry, but only a strangled noise escaped her lips.

The darkness returned tenfold as those eyes disappeared back into the murk. Amy's heavy eyelids closed and she could feel herself floating away.

When she opened them again, the world had changed.

It was a late afternoon in autumn, the sun's meagre light barely penetrating the thick clouds. She sighed as she made her way along the muddy dirt path.

The little pink hedgehog girl climbed onto the wooden bench, her little legs dangling over the side, unable to reach the floor. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, the heavens weeping with her, the grey cloudy sky a mirror of her soul.

She always cried, and she hated herself for being so weak, but she was so alone. She felt the cold droplets of rain pelting her, mixing with her tears, soaking her and her little red dress, but she didn't care.

"Are you okay?" came a concerned voice.

"Leave me alone," she sobbed.

She felt someone sit on the bench next to her, and a moment later she couldn't feel the cold sting of the rain on her skin anymore.

"You'll catch a cold if you stay in the rain."

"I don't care." She looked up and met sparkling emerald eyes. A blue hedgehog was sitting next to her. He smiled and held out his umbrella to shield her from the rain.

"I'm Sonic, what's your name?"

"Amy," she sniffed. "Amy Rose."

"It's good to meet you, Amy Rose," he said with a smile that made her heart skip a beat. No one had ever reached out to her before. They all just made fun of the 'stupid little orphan girl from a village with no name'.

Involuntarily she moved across the bench, away from him. She daren't get close to anyone, because she knew that in the end they'd just die and leave her all alone again. But she was so scared of being alone.

Sonic hooked the umbrella into the panels of the bench, so that it still covered Amy. "See ya around."

"No, don't go! Please!" She looked up at him pleadingly. She desperately didn't want to be alone anymore. Blushing from her sudden outburst, she turned away quickly before continuing, "I... I mean, will you sit with me a little while longer?"

He didn't answer, but he didn't move. They sat together in silence for what seewii+role playingmed like hours.

"I've got to go, Amy." But this time his voice sounded different, older, and when she looked up he wasn't the little boy from her memory anymore. And she found that she wasn't that sad lonely little girl either.

"Don't leave me. Please!" Amy sobbed. It felt like a piece of her heart was being ripped from her chest.

"I've got to. But I'm glad you're safe." Sonic gave a satisfied grin, but behind that shone sad eyes. "If you'd been hurt because of me, I could never have forgiven myself."

They both stood facing one another. A cold wind rustled the bare trees as red and gold leaves blew around them. Amy fell into his arms.

"Goodbye, Amy Rose." She felt his lips meet hers, and then he was gone, like everyone else she had gotten close to.

"No..." She fell to her knees as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

- - - -

"Blast them all to the sunless country," Pochacamac raged. "They think that they can make an alliance with those Mercian savages behind my back!

"They think that they can take my son away from me again! And they're sending him to those that murdered my wife!" Pochacamac roared at Remington, who stood to attention at the foot of the aged councillor's desk.

Pochacamac's head fell into his hand, fighting desperately against the tears that threatened to burst from his eyes. His mind pulled him back to the last time they took him away.

"Take good care of my son," he had said to the acolytes, before they ushered the sulking echidna onto the train.

With a hiss of steam and a cry of its horn, the locomotive began to pull away.

"Knuckles! Don't go. Don't leave me!" Tikal called to the rapidly disappearing train, sobbing. And Pochacamac fought to hold back his own tears. He had to be strong for his son and daughter.

It was tradition, yes. But Pochacamac knew the real reason: control. The first borne of every counsellor was inducted into the Order, and that was how they kept control of the counsel. And there was nothing he could do to stop them.

"I'm sorry, Knuckles, for putting you through all this; for my selfishness and ego," Pochacamac said as if his son could hear him. Then he did the one thing he couldn't all those years ago - he didn't hold back his tears.

- - - -

"Sonic!" Amy gasped as she shot up, and immediately she wished that she hadn't. Her whole body ached and she was covered in cuts and bruises.

Her hazel eyes darted around the large wooden room that she found herself in. It was filled with hay and animals and a terrible smell. She was on a small mound of hay, covered by a thin blanket.

"Shh, don't worry. You're safe." An old woman smiled kindly at her.

"W-what happened? Where am I?" Amy groaned, her brain pounded in her skull.

"You're in," the woman gave a hollow laugh. "You're in what's left of Lake Valley. We found you washed up on the shore this morning, and hid you here before the guards noticed."

"Guards?" She was getting confused now. Maybe she had banged her head harder than she thought.

"Yes, this is a farming village. We grow food for the invaders, and they let us live. There are only a dozen of them, but they rule this place like it's their own personal fiefdom. I hear we've got it easy compared to the big cities, though, so I guess we shouldn't complain." The old woman sighed. "Listen, I've got to go. I'll be missed if I'm gone for much longer. You'd better stay here - someone will check in on you later. In the meantime you should probably get some rest."

The old woman left, making sure that she closed the barn door behind her.

Amy touched a hand to her lips. It had felt so real. She rolled over on the makeshift bed and tried to sleep. She tossed and turned for hours, but sleep never came.

"Are you awake?" Amy looked up and saw a young hedgehog. He could only have been a few years older than herself.

"Hi. I'm Marco. Here, I brought you this." He handed Amy a tray with a bowl of soup and a few slices of stale bread on a plate.

"Um, thank you."

A shadow appeared in the doorway behind him. "Well, well, what have we here." One of the aliens stood there. He had short sandy hair and blue eyes which fell on Amy. He gave her a sinister smile. "I've not seen you around before."

Marco tensed and spun, but after seeing the face of the invader, he gave a relieved sigh. "Don't scare me like that."

"I was only teasing."

"Have you got the stuff?"

"Of course!" The human sounded offended. He produced a small box, then nodded his head towards the hedgehog. "Have you?"

"Yes." Then the hedgehog opened the bag he was carrying, revealing several dozen cigarettes.

"Good," he smiled and dropped the box at the hedgehog's feet before taking the bag.

"The name's Cecil," he said to Amy nonchalantly as he sat against the wooden wall barn and took a cigarette from the bag. Amy simply stood there, mute.

"Okay, Missy, you don't have to tell me your name." He smiled at her again as he lit the little white stick, but this time it was warmer.

"What's the news?" Marco asked as he sat next to the human.

"The captain's in a fluster, 'cause something's been attacking the villages around here."

"What is it?"

"Dunno. Whatever it is, it's left no one alive to tell us."

"Aren't you gonna go look for it?"

"Nah, there's too few of us out here, and we're far too unimportant for command to bother sending re-enforcements."

Amy just glared at them. She couldn't believe what she was seeing! They were talking like they were colleagues or even... friends.

"What do you think you're playing at? He's the enemy!" she burst. Cecil laughed. "Don't laugh at me you murderer!"

"Okay, Missy." Cecil stood and grabbed the bag. "Same time next week?"

"Yeah." Marco nodded.

As soon as Cecil had left Amy turned on the other hedgehog. "You, you... Traitor!"

"I'm just doing what I have to so that my family can survive." A tear rolled down his cheek and he clutched the box closer to his chest. "If my brother doesn't get his medicine, he'll die. And if that means making deals with the enemy, then so be it!"

Amy was speechless as Marco turned and left.

- - - -

"I should be honoured that the Order saw me fit to take on such a responsibility." Knuckles paced his room restlessly. "But what am I going to tell Tikal and Lara-Su?

"What should I do?" He sighed as he collapsed in a chair. His troubled thoughts wandered back to the last time he'd left her;

"Why do you have to go, big brother?" Tikal's question was answered by silence.

"Goodbye," he had said as he stood in the doorway of the train

"Don't go, big brother. Please," Tikal sobbed as she threw her arms around his waist.

"Come on, Tikal. Knuckles has to go now," their father said as he pulled her away from him, his steely gaze betraying no emotion.

"But why does he have to go?"

Knuckles didn't have time to hear an answer, as soon as Tikal had stepped off the train the door had been slammed shut.

He was escorted to a compartment by two burly acolytes who took seats next to and opposite him.

The car shuddered slightly as the train began to pull away from the station. Knuckles sat there and glared at the two echidnas, a ball of rage growing in the pit of his stomach.

"Why does he have to go?" Tikal's last words echoed in the echidna's mind. He didn't understand either.

Why did he need to go? All his father had said was that he had to, for the honour of the family. But surely he needed to stay even more? Their father was always so busy with work, and now that their mother was dead, Tikal would be left all alone. She needed him to protect her, from the hedgehog savages and the monsters in the night.

From the dirty window he saw her crumpled, tear streaked face as she cried out to him, disappear into the distance.

He couldn't hurt her like that again.

He just couldn't.


End file.
